Once Burned
by Red0ptimi5tic
Summary: “My mother thought I was a monster, my own brother left me, my friends betrayed me, and my own father abandoned me to go fulfill his dreams of conquering the world. The only one I have left is myself......or am I slowly losing that too?”
1. Prologue

**Once Burned**

**Summary: **"_My mother thought I was a monster, my own brother left me, my friends betrayed me, and my own father abandoned me to go fulfill his dreams of conquering the world. The only one I have left is myself...or am I slowly losing that too?" _ Mai discovers a diary and ends up exploring the mind of a ruthless killer.

**Author's Notes:** My first fanfic.What? I know... you're thinking, "Not another Azula redemption story!" Am I right? Well, it just might not end up that way! ;) Who knows? Not even I do...or do I? Let's move on!

**Disclaimer: **If Avatar had stock, then and ONLY then would I own at least a part of it and its characters. I don't own anything.

**Chapter 1**

**Prologue**

Morning. The sun was rising ever so slightly, its light painting a beautiful purplish-pink color in the sky that was its canvas. It was truly a work of art with a life of its own. The sun itself looked like half an orange circle on the horizon with trees poking out on the border. The city looked truly beautiful during this hour, even though on the inside, it was filled with the turmoil of a failing economy, and the outbreaks of riots from its citizens who dare not accept such radical changes that have happened within the past two weeks.

But not even this glorious sight could create a different expression on Mai's bored-looking face.

As she stood there on the balcony of her room staring out at what lay before her, she thought of what had happened in the past that had ended them in a situation like this. At first glance, it seemed like a small scratch, yet another inspection revealed that scratch as a gaping hole. With Zuko as the new Fire Lord, the Fire Nation would finally be at peace with its neighbors. Alliances would be established, and war would be a thing of the past. They knew that there would be a few bumps along the way; in fact, they were expecting it. They just didn't think that it would be this difficult to get it under control.

_Poor Zuko. He must be under a lot of stress._

That was an understatement of course. There were times when Zuko skipped meals and even whole nights of sleep trying to find a solution with the leaders of the other two nations on how to deal with the aftermath of the war. Not only that, but she knew that he was thinking of his sister as well. She didn't see why though. She had nearly killed both of them. Why should they give her the luxury of mercy when she herself had never shown anyone else that? Sometimes, Mai wanted to question his way of thinking, but most of the time held her tongue knowing that that would earn her a cold, hard glare from him; something she was used to when it came to the topic of Azula.

She sighed and decided to shove those thoughts away, burying it within the recesses of her mind. Today, she would try to comfort Zuko and help ease some of the workload off of him, no matter how small the task would appear to be.

* * *

Mai walked down the long corridor toward two rather large-looking doors that was being guarded by two Fire Nation officers of superior ranking, one on each side. She finally reached the entrance to the library which just might have been the hugest in the entire Fire Nation capital. Well, of course! This was a palace meant for royalty, and if royalty _wanted _scrolls in a huge room, royalty was going to_ have _scrolls in a huge room. She nodded and spoke with a bored tone.

"So, I'm guessing Zuko's in there?"

"Yes, my lady," responded the guard on the right. "But, Fire Lord Zuko has specifically requested that he not be bothered at this time. He is extremely busy with the affairs of the the Fire Nation, you see."

"Right, and I'm just gonna sit here like a piece of chopped meat and wait 'till he comes out."

"M'lady?" She already missed her name.

After a few seconds of deliberating to herself, she was determined that she was going to see Zuko, now or never.

"Look, I just wanted to see him for a few seconds. That's all. And if he can't at least spare a few seconds of his time, what gives me the guarantee that he'll spare a few hours later in the future? So, could you please step aside? I am the _Fire Lady_ after all."

Hopefully the two guards would be too distracted by her anger to see how lame of an excuse that was.

"O-Of course. Of course." Success!

The guard on the right nodded to the one on the left, and they both opened each door, revealing dozens and dozens of wooden shelves all crammed with scrolls! The ceiling practically looked like it was miles away from the floor! The only light that illuminated the entire room came from the outside. The flooring was all carpet colored in a rich shade of burgundy.

Mai noticed that her eyes were slightly widened and immediately closed them back into its other state. She had never been to the library, well, at least this one. Amazingly, right?

_All this time and Azula never mentioned it._

She walked to the center of the library and looked around hoping to find Zuko anywhere. Instead, there was a circular desk with a middle-aged woman wearing glasses sitting down while reading a scroll. _Probably the librarian._ She looked quite frail and had graying raven hair, which meant that she was a native of the Fire Nation. Of course. Not seeing Zuko anywhere, Mai walked over to where the woman was sitting and decided to ask her where the Fire Lord was.

"Um, excuse me?"

The woman brought down her scroll and let out a small gasp as the realization of who she was talking to just hit her.

"I'm so sorry, Fire Lady Mai!" she said with a bow.

"Actually, it's quite all right..." _Why does everyone do that? I'm not married to him... yet!_

The woman brought her head up once again. "So what brings her highness to these parts of the palace?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, I was looking for Zuk- I mean, the Fire Lord, and I was told that he would be in here..."

"And he is, just not in this room." She promptly turned to another door Mai hadn't noticed before. "He's in there," she said pointing to it. "You'll find him sitting by a desk buried in paperwork." Then she frowned slightly. "I feel sorry for him. All he wants is peace, and the people give him revolts!"

_Yeah, you and me both, lady._

Mai bowed to show respect and thanked her for her kindness. She then quickly turned and headed for the newly discovered room. She grabbed a handle and pulled. Once inside, she found herself having a hard time adjusting her eyes to the light. Unlike the previous room, this one was less illuminated. It was dark and her eyes were drawn to a fireplace already lit up. It sparked and she felt comforted by it. Then she saw a a large comfortable-looking chair in front of the fireplace, except its back was facing her. She could only bet that Zuko was sitting in it reading some paper about the agriculture of the land. She hurriedly walked over to the side of it, making Zuko jump up, spilling some scrolls onto the floor.

"Mai?" he said surprised by her appearance. He quickly picked up the fallen scrolls. "What-what are you doing here?"

What? How could he ask her that? Wasn't he happy seeing her there?

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, that's all."

He looked terrible. He had bags under his red eyes and his clothes were disheveled after at least a day and a half of use.

He enveloped her in a hug after seeing the expression on her face. "I'm sorry. Things... haven't been exactly the same since the riots started."

Riots. There were all too common nowadays. Crime was slowly increasing. It was at an all-time high than it was a few weeks ago.

"I know. I...actually, I came to see if you needed help with anything. Like deciding on which city needed the most repair, or delivering any valuable inventory." The second because theft wasn't that far behind on the list of rising problems. _I'm good at that. I used to deliver secret inventory when Azula gave me that job to do. _With that name in her head, she shook it vigorously.

"Are you okay?" Zuko asked filled with concern.

"Uh, yeah!...I'm fine." Then a few seconds of silence ensued. Finally, Zuko broke the silence.

"Listen, leave all of this stuff to me. These are my problems that I have to deal with. I am the Fire Lord. I can handle this. Everything will be fine." Another quick hug was exchanged between the two of them.

"If I find a problem I can't fix, I'll make sure to come directly to you." he said with a smile and a wink.

Mai smiled herself. There was no use talking him out out of it. He was always so stubborn. "All right...And I'll make sure to use that against you if you don't." She kissed him on his cheek. "Have fun reading some more scrolls!" She walked out of the room leaving Zuko smiling from the sarcasm that was just thrown at him.

* * *

With nothing else to do today, Mai, bored as ever, decided to explore the library. Maybe she would be able to find some interesting scrolls, like journal entries from previous war generals, or scrolls filled with depressing poems that she would love to read.

She looked around on the shelves and picked a random scroll and took it from its position. However, when she did, another scroll dropped opening it slightly. Mai sighed and bent down to pick it up. She glanced at it once, but one glance was all she needed. The first words she saw was: _Mai and Ty Lee had decided to..._

_Mai and Ty Lee? Why would we be in some random history scroll?_

She placed the original scroll she picked out previously back in the same spot. Now she only focused her attention on the scroll on the ground. She picked it up and opened it widely. She looked for a name, any name that would identify its owner. After a few seconds, her search had found its target.

Running over to where the middle-aged woman was, she placed her hand on the desk and tried to catch her breath.

"What happened? Are you all right?" she asked quite surprised herself.

The only thing that came out of her mouth was, "Where-Where did you find this?"

She took the scroll and inspected it. She found her scroll identification stamp. "Well, this looks recent."

She took a closer look. "Oh, I remember this! I found this out in the garden one day. Oh, you should have seen it! It was almost about to fall into the turtleduck pond. I thought it was just misplaced by some misfit who decided they could care less about returning it, but... it seems to have, importance?"

She eyed Mai, but Mai wasn't really paying attention. She only stared confused at the bold letters in a familiar writing she recognized right away. It was part of the first entry to the entire diary:

_My name is Azula, princess of the Fire Nation._


	2. Through My Eyes

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes: **So I had to take my time to make this especially good as a present for those who have reviewed or put this story on alert. Hope I did my job! Keep in mind that I'm new at this, so any corrections are greatly appreciated! Thanks for the reviews! Okay, on with the new chapter!

**Disclaimer: **Nope. Still don't own Avatar or its characters.

**Chapter 2**

**Through My Eyes**

"_One more time!"_

_A young child, now drenched in sweat and panting heavily, took a step back and stood at attention. With her arms at her side and her legs placed tightly together, she looked determined to execute this form perfectly only so that the consequences of failing to do so would be avoided._

_It was about high noon on this day as the sun shone brightly up in the sky. Its heat was bearing down onto the only two occupants, save one guard, of the expansive courtyard that had been the grounds for their daily training routine, making it even harder to focus. One of the occupants, a man who looked to be in his early thirties, slowly paced around the other, a girl of about seven years and eyed her as if to instill fear into every fiber of her being. Whether she didn't notice this or was hiding it very well, nothing on her face seemed to express her trepidation._

"_Azula! Don't tell me you're tired already?"_

"_No! No, father. I'm ready."_

_The guard just stood there with a spear in hand at the door that was the entrance to the palace. Stifling a yawn that had come up unexpectedly, he watched as the princess came into a ready stance of a slightly advanced firebending form wondering when the next guard was going to appear to take over the next shift._

"_All right...Begin!"_

_With a few shifts of her feet, she jutted forward her left hand in a fist and brought her right hand, closed in a fist as well, to her side, simultaneously. The result was a ball of flame that came out from her extended left arm from her fist._

"_Two!" the man yelled._

_Next, Azula brought her right foot forward and in an instant, her right fisted arm sliced the air with a punch while she brought her left arm to her side. This was a mirror of the first move. A scorch mark appeared on the wall in front of her from the blast._

"_One!"_

_Turning to her right, she brought both of her arms together, fisted her hands, and formed an "X" in front of her with the back of her arms touching each other. Then she swiftly brought down her right arm and lined it parallel to her right leg pointing it to the ground, while her left arm was placed at her side once more. A streak of fire was left by her right hand that quickly dissipated in the air._

"_Two!"_

_She brought her right arm up, moved her left leg forward, and punched the air with her left; her right arm copying the position its counterpart was in previously. Another fireball was created._

"_One!"_

_Now turning to her left, the princess formed an "X" once more with her arms, lined her left arm with her left leg, and swung her right arm to her side._

"_Two!"_

_Once more, she reflected what she had done with her right arm, bringing her left in the air, putting it to her side, and this time her right arm punched the air. Another punch, another ball of fire. The sun was strengthening her powers, but it was what was causing her energy to disappear at the same time. She was too tired from before. She wanted to stop._

"_Steady breath now, one!" However, Ozai did not want to see her fail._

_Turning to her left, it was basically a summary of everything that she had done so far. She formed another "X" and set her left arm down with her right at her side._

"_Two!"_

_She raised her left arm into the air, moved her right foot forward, and punched with her right straight ahead._

"_Three!"_

_She copied that move with her left ending up in the air. She was finally finished! All she wanted to do now was collapse onto the ground and catch her breath. All those forms she had to review was getting quite annoying, and she wanted to move on with her lessons. But what had really tired her were all those roundhouses, ax kicks, and sparring with the local guards. Her legs felt heavy, and she was dripping with sweat._

"_Practice makes perfect, Azula," stated Ozai with a solemn voice. "You'll never grasp the meaning of that concept if you continue to slack off like this."_

_Azula was now bent over staring at the ground with her hands leaning on her knees trying to regain her composure. "Yes, father...But I already understand that!" Ozai could distinctly hear attitude in her voice._

"_Oh, really?" He was now looming over her. When Azula saw his shadow on the ground, she looked up at him. "Because I'm beginning to think that you _don't_ understand that! That you _don't_ want to learn what I'm teaching you! That you _don't _appreciate everything that I have shown you!" He wasn't yelling at her. It seemed more like loud talking. With his hands behind his back, he bent down and stared closely at Azula. "You are going to do this again and again and again until I _tell_ you that you've mastered it." Now he was speaking with an intense lower voice. "When I tell you to jump, you ask 'How high?' When I tell you to run, you ask 'How far?' You obey _everything_ I command you to do, and you are going to do it _without_ an attitude." _

_Azula went wide-eyed with this statement. Couldn't he see how much hard work she had been putting into her training? Couldn't he see that she was practically the only seven-year-old doing advanced firebending techniques? Couldn't he see how tired she was right now?_

_Her father now turned back and started slowly walking away. "All right Azula. Ready stance!"_

_Instead, Azula slowly sits down and rests her hands on her legs. Expecting to see a ready Azula, Ozai turns around. He is displeased with what he sees. He narrows his eyes and glares at his daughter._

_The guard, now dumbfounded with what's in front of him, closes his open mouth and smiles, wondering what will happen next._

"_No No, not anymore! I've been training all day long, and all I want to do is go play with Mai and Ty Lee! I haven't seen them all day!" she yelled, finding courage to finally stand up for what she wanted._

_Of course, he should have expected this. Obstinateness ran in the family, but Ozai was going to put an abrupt end to this little delay in his plans._

_He chuckled a little. "My, my. So she does have a little backbone after all, hm?" He slowly walks over to where he was standing before. Staring down at Azula, his smile changes into a frown. He notices that she's looking away from him, avoiding eye contact at all costs. "You will look at me when I'm talking to you, young lady..." Still no change. Her arms were crossed, and she looked defiant. Furious at her action, he bends down and slaps her left cheek with his right hand. "look me in the eyes!!"_

_Taken aback by what her father had just done, she grabbed her stinging cheek with her left hand and turned to look at him. Tears began to slowly make their way down her face, blurring her vision. "I don't want to do this anymore!" she screamed while hiccuping from her sobs._

_The guard just stood there, debating in his mind whether he should interfere with the scene going on before his very eyes and risk losing his job, or even worse, his life, or just stand guard and play it safe. His conscience would definitely bother him should he allow the latter._

"_You are a firebender, and you will be strong...for me!" He placed a hand around her left wrist and forcefully yanked her up, gripping it even more tightly. "I am your father and you will listen to me!" In a fit of rage, Ozai was so blinded by his anger that he did not notice that he was creating fire with the hand that had grabbed Azula's wrist. She began yelling and screaming for him to stop, using her other hand to pull her left free. Unfortunately, her father was too strong, and she was unable to escape. The pain seemed unbearable to Azula. Her wrist was slowly being burned alive. She was crying uncontrollably. _

_Ozai finally let go after realizing what he was doing. He watched as Azula slumped down to the ground and grabbed her hand. She feared that if she had touched the burned area, it would hurt even more. Blood came out from punctures of the boils that the fire had created, only intensifying the pain._

_Surpised, Ozai looked around and called for a guard. The guard that had witnessed everything, forced himself out of the daze he was in, and fearfully walked up to him. "Please, go get a medic. Now!" The guard nodded and ran inside the palace. Once the healer was informed of what had taken place in the courtyard, he quickly ran outside to where his patient was and found her bent on her knees on the ground next to her father who had stood there just staring awkwardly. As he ran over to them, Ozai stared at him._

"_Take care of her burns immediately doctor. I want no one to know what has taken place here, especially not Ursa... I trust that you will never mention this to anyone?" He eyed him for a moment. _

_The healer mentally sighed. "Of course, my lord. Nothing will be said about what has happened." He bowed and watched as the soon-to-be Fire Lord walked into the palace._

* * *

Azula woke up and found herself covered in a cold sweat and her head with a splitting migraine. She got up too quickly though, and she became a little lightheaded. She closed her eyes shut and willed for it to go away. Once she caught herself, however, she finally became aware of her surroundings.

It was night, she was in a dark cell, sitting on a very uncomfortable "bed," if you could call a wooden plank held up by chains with a flimsy sheet that, and she was still wearing her red Fire Nation prison uniform, ones she saw all the time on others but never expected to be wearing herself. She longed for the feeling of the protection of her Fire Nation armor, or at least the silkiness of her night clothes or even her formal gowns, but nothing could be done about it. She was a princess no longer.

Feeling like throwing up, Azula grabbed the side of her head and tried rubbing it but to no avail. The pain just would not go away.

_Stupid headache! Stupid clothes! Stupid nightmares! Stupid life!_

Her hair, which she wore down with her messed up bangs because tying it up with her usual pin that could be used as a potential weapon was not allowed, was matted down on several places of her face because of her sweat.

She calmed herself down. She had been having those horrible nightmares ever since her friends had left her. She'd have dreams of her times as a child when she used to play with Mai and Ty Lee, replaying over and over the time when she had forced Mai into throwing darts at the apples Azula herself would place on top of Ty Lee's head, or playing her version of tag by using her firebending to catch each of them. But then those "dreams" would turn into nightmares when Mai and Ty Lee would betray her at the Boiling Rock over and over again.

_Have I truly become such a monster?_

She shook her head. _No! They were traitors! Fools for turning their backs on ME when I gave them everything! ...Or maybe I was the fool for befriending them in the first place?_

Then her mind was drawn to the last nightmare she had just had a few minutes ago. She looked at her wrist. Nothing. Luckily her father had not burned her too long, and they had an excellent physician in the royal palace that had extensive knowledge on treating illnesses or anything of the sort. However, it had still taken a long time for the burns to go away, about several weeks.

_Why didn't I tell anyone what father had done to me?_

No one would have believed her anyways. She had already established herself as a cruel bully and a complete liar. More than that, she feared her father would do more harmful things if she had disobeyed or told anyone.

_I walked around with bandages telling everyone I tripped and hurt myself... I was weak._

"_**You failed me Azula!**_**"**

_What was that? Was that...father?!_

Suddenly, out from a dark corner of her cell comes the previous Fire Lord in front of her. His look was one of anger and disappointment, and he was still wearing his robes.

"What did you say?" asked Azula now talking out loud. The guard passing by noticed this, but was used to it by now, so he ignored her and continued to make his rounds.

Ozai was smirking. _**"You're...a...failure!" **_He was now walking closer to her. _**"And now...you've failed me for the last time!"**_

Surprised, Azula quickly jumped up, shifted her feet, and punched the air in front of her in his direction hoping to burn him out of her sight. She had her eyes closed, but she slowly opened them, and found that nothing had happened. She didn't hear anything either.

_That...That Avatar! _She had forgotten that he had taken away her powers way before she was locked up in this cell.

Then Azula heard laughter. It was coming from her father.

"_**You're pathetic...weak!" **_He was now directly in front of her with her fist nearly touching him. "**_It's about time I finally put you out of your misery." _**Now he was gathering fire into a ball in his left hand.

Paralyzed, all Azula could do was stand there and watch. He gathered enough energy and was going to blast her away with fire. _**"Goodbye Azula." **_

"Nooo!" She yelled, covered her head with her arms, and tightly shut her eyes.

A few seconds had passed. Nothing happened. Azula slowly opened her eyes and looked in front of her. No one was there. Not her father, not her mother...no one! All she payed attention to was what her father had just said. Pain from her migraine had started to erupt once again. She swayed and dropped down to her knees grabbing her head. She was tired...of everything. She walked over to her bed, lies down, and closed her eyes falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

Mai hadn't told anyone about the diary. She didn't even think to tell Zuko about it. All she was wondering about was what exactly was inside this diary? She was so curious it was killing her. All she wanted to do now was open it up and read what Azula had written in this scroll.

_No, it's none of my business._

When she had found it in the library, she had quickly walked out and ran to the garden. Maybe she could have found something else that would have been a clue as to how it got there in the first place. Although, now that she had thought about it, she was curious about what the lady in the library had used as an explanation of finding it there.

_Mistook it for one of hers, huh? I doubt that..._

Just what exactly prevented _her_ from opening it up and reading it herself to find out if it _was_ her scroll in the first place?

_Maybe it wasn't found here in the garden; maybe she was trying to cover up for something... but what_? _Or maybe I'm just being paranoid, and I have nothing to be worried about._

Still, it bothered her.

_Well, she did seem nice and all. Maybe she was in a hurry for another reason? _She sighed. _Ugh, there are just too many variables. _

One thing was for sure though, this was Azula's diary. She was going to get to the bottom of it later, but right now, she wanted to look into it badly.

_What's keeping ME from reading it? It's not like she's going to come and kill me here and now. Yeah, not likely... She's locked up in prison all crazy now, or so I hear. Good. She deserves what happened to her after what she did to Zuko. I've been under her influence for too long!_

As an act of defiance, she opened up the scroll and looked for the first entry. Only one problem though...

_It's night._

No problem. She could just go find a well lit room by candlelight and read it there.

Once inside her room sitting on her bed, Mai opened it up and looks at it properly. She began her exploration into Azula's mind.

_Entry #1_

_My name is Azula, princess of the Fire Nation, daughter to Fire Lord Ozai, and, although I'm ashamed to admit this, Fire Lady Ursa. As an ode to my future success in capturing the Avatar, I have decided to write memoirs explaining my infamous mission and the actions that I took to obtain that goal as a reference to any future generation wanting to know how I accomplished this task._

_Unfortunately, today will not be the day the Avatar sees his downfall. Today, father has given me an order to hunt down my failure of a brother Zuko..._

At this, Mai fumed, but continued to read.

_...who was not able to regain his honor by capturing the Avatar himself, and my uncle Iroh who would have been Fire Lord had he not been such a weakling in returning home from the war. They are to be either captured alive or brought back dead. It will definitely be a challenge, but it's nothing I can't handle myself. _

_As I write this now, I am on a ship heading to the last known location of my brother and uncle. Lo and Li have decided to come with me and are now cautioning me to practice while we wait. Those two old bats will never let me hear the end of it. Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt seeing as I will be up against the "Dragon of the West." I'm not sure why we never got along. It could have been either father warned me of his weakness, or he just spent more time with ZuZu. Just like mother always did..._

_She was a horrible mother to me and never cared. Never paid any attention to me. Always went to Zuko when he had a scratch. Me? I had to heal mine all on my own. Only my father truly loved me. He trained me to be who I am today. My loyalty is his. But now she's gone. I have no idea where she went, and I don't care._

_But look at me rambling on about the past when I should be focused on the future. Well, I suppose I can't erase that now, can I? Perhaps this will just be my personal journal that can help me relieve my stress when it is needed. For now, I have some training to do before my little showdown with my brother and uncle._

Mai stopped reading and closed her eyes to think. **_I don't remember Azula ever telling us about this! She was sent to kill Zuko?!_**

She thought some more. She didn't know if she wanted to continue. _**She was so heartless, she would bring back her brother dead?**_

It was the middle of the night, and she was already getting tired. It was time for her to get some sleep. Tomorrow, she would send an airhawk with a message to Kyoshi Island. She wanted Ty Lee to read this as well, seeing that she was part of this whole ordeal. She closed the scroll, placed it on her desk, and prepared for another day.

**Yes, yes, I know, I'm a cruel person. I only gave you a taste of the diary. XD But, hey, I needed to explain where Azula was because, well this story is mainly focused around her! Sorry! :b Next chapter, there will be plenty of action and plenty of diary with Azula's feelings in it. D All wrapped in a bow just for you guys!**


	3. A Day in the Life of Pt 1

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes:** Revised for major mistakes.

**Disclaimer: **Avatar does not belong to me.

**Chapter 3**

**A Day in the Life of... Pt. 1**

Mai was in a dark room by herself sitting on a chair reading Azula's "memoirs." Every once in a while the room would start to shake.

_You would think the storm would have ended by now._

She was on a Fire Nation ship heading for Kyoshi Island. She had changed her mind. She was going to see Ty Lee personally. This was of great importance, and besides, it would be nice to see her best friend whom she had not seen in over two weeks again.

When they got out to sea, it started raining immediately. It was almost as if the world did not want Mai to show anyone else the diary. It was a secret that only she had known about..._and possibly that librarian... _Heavy waves rocked the ship back and forth as it struggled to maintain its course on a normal speed.

Mai had just started to read the second entry when all of a sudden she had heard thunder. _Hmmm, maybe today wasn't such a good idea._

_Entry #2_

_**Gee, Azula wasn't one for much title-naming imagination, huh?**_

_You know, firebending with lightning isn't the easiest thing in the world. It takes major concentration and tremendous patience. However, once you get the hang of it, it becomes like clockwork. Everything clicks into place. I've finally gotten used to the motions of my hands and the regulation of my breathing. All I have to do really is poke out two fingers in any direction and BANG! Down goes one fighter. Hopefully this will become useful should the traitors resist arrest._

_My plan is a brilliant one. First, I will sway Zuko into thinking our father has offered him redemption should he accept to choose coming back home. Second, their guards will be down and the soldiers will go in for the kill. I know they WILL resist arrest. ZuZu has Uncle Iroh with him. _

_Zuko will be easy enough to persuade. I'm just worried about Uncle. He might counter-persuade him into not going, but I know my own brother. He will be too blinded by his own want of regaining his "honor." Father will be most pleased when I bring them back home. _

_We have finally arrived. Now it's time to play the acting game._

* * *

"Hey,...Hey! Wake up!" Now the guard started poking the former princess with the back of his spear.

Finally stirring, Azula woke up to the noise of inmates talking and cells doors opening and closing shut. However, she woke up to a sight she did not want to see, a guard poking her with a spear. Offended in every way possible, she narrowed her eyes and got up.

"How dare you-you-you ignorant _whelp_! How dare you even touch me with..._thing_!!" With that, she got into her usual firebending stance. "You will pay for your insolence with your own life!"

The guard just laughed at her face. "You've gotta be kidding me!...You're going to fight me?! And how exactly do you plan on accomplishing that?"

_Oh, right...I can't firebend...I can still fight though! But this man seems capable of firebending as well. I can't risk my life over some stupid mistake I could make. Not even I am that prideful._

Weighing the decision in her mind, Azula stood down but was still glaring at the guard. The guard started laughing. "Good girl!" he said patting Azula's head.

It took all the restraint Azula had just to not kill him with her bare hands. She was now sneering.

"_Now, now Azula. Watch that anger..." _her mother had said_._

"Shut up!!" yelled Azula with everything she had. She would not want to hear these voices now.

Turning back, the guard look confused. "What did you say?"

Not wanting to make the guard angry but not wanting to look weak either by telling him that she had heard voices, Azula kept her mouth shut and her head down. The guard looked at her funny, "...Riiiiight..." He had heard rumors of the princess' lunacy. He would not want to be here when she would finally crack and started thinking about suicide. "Well, it's 'recess' for you kiddies. Everyone's out in the yard, so we better head on out there."

Sending her to the prison yard with the other felons had seemed to work wonders on her psyche. At least, he thought it did. Every time she came back to her cell, she seemed more calm and serene. She wouldn't yell into the air or threaten one of the guards, or worse, attack the lucky guard who got to give her her food. So, they were always commanded to escort her outside. It always seemed to do the trick, that is when she didn't get herself into fights. He always wondered why not just lock her up in chains and leave her to rot in this cell? But, the entire facility was given specific instructions from the Fire Lord himself to treat her like they would any other inmate.

Azula jerked her head up. "And you still expect _me_ to 'play nice' with my 'fellow' inmates?"

The guard remembered all the fights that this brat had gotten herself into. He knew. He even had to break-up some of them. "Well, why not? It's worked out so far, hasn't it? Your social skills are definitely improving! I can tell!"

_What?! He was mocking me?! How dare he do this! How dare anyone ever mistreat me!_

"...Listen, you play nice, and you get to go outside everyday! You know what happens if you don't..."

With a sour face, Azula just nodded and headed out of her cell to the prison yard. Surely no one would try to pick a fight with her this time, right? She wouldn't try to either.

* * *

_Entry #3_

_I can't believe what has just happened. One minute, I'm bending lightning into my fingers, and the next, it's being redirected by my uncle. _

_Yes, yes, now I admit it. My plan did not succeed._

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_**Zuko came walking along with Iroh heading for Azula'a ship. He had decided to accept her offer in the hopes that their father was really ready to bring him back into the family. Iroh had a smile plastered on his face, but deep down inside, he was filled with suspicion.**_

_**There were two rows of soldiers on each side of them as they neared the ship. One of the soldiers, the captain, walked up to Azula and asked if they were ready to depart.**_

_**"Set our course for home, Captain," responded Azula quite calmly.**_

_**As the two walked onto the stairs leading to the ship, the same man yelled some instructions to the others. "You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the 'prisoners' ho-" He stopped abruptly.**_

_**Azula, after glaring daggers at the Captain, sighed heavily.**_

* * *

_He was nearly there. He was nearly in my little trap, but that idiot of a soldier just couldn't keep his mouth shut! I told everyone of them that should the word "prisoner" escape any of their mouths around Zuko and Uncle Iroh, the consequences would be severe. Well, I had no choice. Now we had to take them by force. But Uncle Iroh was too skilled. He even seem prepared for this attack. How could he have possibly foreseen this? I thought for sure that they were both mine!_

* * *

_**Azula allowed the soldiers do the "forcing" for her, while she just walked up to the deck. Zuko, however, would not let her walk away without payback. He fought off a few of the soldiers and jumped onto the deck. His uncle was still handling all the others by himself on the shore below.**_

_**Now staring at her back, Zuko prepared for a fight. He hears his uncle's warning of retreat, but Zuko doesn't act upon it. Instead, flames in hand, he went charging for Azula. A few exchanges, more on Zuko's part, ensued, and he came tumbling down the ramp to the ground after receiving a ball of blue flame to the face.**_

_**Azula, thinking that it was time to end this, swung her arms in the usual motion, clasped her fists together, and began aiming two fingers at Zuko. Suddenly, Iroh jumped up near Azula, took those same two fingers, channeled the bolt through him, and aimed his own set of fingers into the air. After kicking her overboard into the ocean, he ran off to Zuko, and the two immediately ran as far away from the ship as they could.**_

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

_I was wet and filled with incredible rage._

_Now regretfully, I must tell father of the disparaging news. I would have to take responsibility for _everything_! I would have to come back _without_ Zuko and Uncle Iroh locked up in chains behind me! I would have to tell him that I failed him._

_...And I am not looking forward to that._

**_Well, well, well, it looks like the slave-driver shows fear every once in a while too. Tch. I'm glad Zuko escaped_. **

Just then, a servant came walking into her room. "Your highness, we have arrived at Kyoshi Island."

"Thank you. Tell the others that I will arrive back shortly." She grabbed the diary and walked out of the room, heading for the port.

* * *

It stopped raining, and the sun began to poke out through the clouds.

The prison yard was filled with prison inmates of different kinds: short, tall, hairy, bald, scary-looking, wimpy. They all gathered at this one place to socialize and stretch out there arms. Not Azula.

Azula was sitting by herself on a bench to the side. She did not want to get on the bad side of the warden, because, in reality, she liked these times. The times when she could hear others talk instead of her mother, or father, or herself, and it was the only time she got to be outside. She definitely did not want to lose that privilege.

Then, all of a sudden, a very husky woman walked over to where Azula is, looking angry.

_Oh great, so you would like to have a "piece of me" as well?_

She was now towering over her, blocking out the sun. Well, at least she could be thankful for one thing.

Sighing, she stood up. "Can I help you?" She didn't like saying that. It felt disgusting in her mouth.

"Yeah, you can! You're Princess Azula, are you not?"

"Thank you Ms. Obvious for telling me what the entire world already knows. Why? Would I know you from somewhere?"

"As a matter fact, yes, you would. You 'banished' me because the soup I gave you was 'too hot'! I'm the cook of the royal family, or at least I used to be one. I was sent here by you!"

"And...soooooo?"

Getting frustrated, the "cook" grabbed the collar of her shirt, but didn't pull her into the air. "And so, now you're here too!"

Azula could only have guessed where this was going_._

"Look, I really don't say this often, so you're in for a treat...I'm...Sooooorrrrrryyyyyy..." Pleased with herself, she smiled. "Wow, that wasn't so hard-" Then suddenly, the woman punched her left eye with so much force, it immediately turned black. She flinched. Azula grabbed the arm that had grabbed her, placed her right foot directly behind the cook's own right, pushed her right shoulder, and she came tumbling down like a ton of bricks.

"You insignificant little wench! How dare you even _touch_ me!" She still had a firm grasp on the woman's right arm, twisting it to her will. Azula now checked her eye. It was puffy and tears were practically pouring out of it. She guessed that it was probably red too. "You see this! Now _I_ have to take care of this!" she yelled, pointing at it.

"Hey! What's going on?" This time it was a man's voice. She didn't like this. A crowd was forming around them already. Any more additions would make things worse. "Hey, Lu! You all right?" Another man's voice. "What is she doing to you?" That one was another woman's.

All three of them stepped out of the crowd all heading for the cook. Azula immediately let go and stepped back. Maybe, if she didn't move, they wouldn't notice her... "Hey, you're that Fire Lord's kid, aren't ya?"

"Don't you mean previous Fire Lord? Now her brother's the leader of this whole nation."

She stared slightly surprised by what they had said. She was getting angry at them for bringing that up.

"Don't worry, Lulu. We've got your back."

Now all three of them were slowly advancing around her. Azula started to analyze her opponents. The first man was muscular, very tall, and had a beard. He was slightly balding, and looked to be around his mid-forties. A serious threat. The second man was a lot thinner, was very frail, and looked to be around his twenties. Minimal threat. The last one, a woman, had short hair, tanned brown skin (_A native of the Water Tribe?)_, and was around her thirties. She looked like she had some experience, but Azula wasn't sure. They all looked at her with anger written all over their faces.

Now, only one question remained: How was she going to get out of this alive?

* * *

"So...you're telling me this is Azula's diary?" Ty Lee looked incredulous.

"For the third time Ty Lee, yes!" Mai was getting impatient.

They were in a separate room in one of the dojos the Kyoshi warriors use to practice their fighting technique. Mai had finally found Ty Lee talking to Suki and some other girl she didn't recognize. It had been easy to spot her what with her bubbly personality and random hugs every now and then. She was wearing her Kyoshi warrior garments. She jumped up when she suddenly saw Mai, surprised and excited at the same time. Mai just sighed, but deep down, she felt the exact same way.

"Wow...Hey, did you read any of it yet?"

No response came from Mai's mouth.

"Mm-hmm, so I'm taking it you already have."

"Hey, you would've done the same thing if you were in my position!"

"But now I am in the same position..." She took the scroll out of Mai's hands, and examined it closely. "Where'd you find it?"

"Strangely enough, in the library."

"The library? What was it doing in there?" Now her questions were really starting to get on her nerves.

"I'm not sure, but the librarian told me she had thought it was hers misplaced by some 'delinquent.'"

"You know what that means!"

"She's hiding something...My thoughts exactly, but why? What's so special about this diary?"

After giving it some thought, Ty Lee spoke up. "I say we investigate!" Mai looked at her skeptically.

"C'mon! It'll be like the good old times!"

Mai scoffed. "You mean, those 'great' times when Azula used to rule our lives? ...Thanks, but no thanks! I'd rather watch paint dry on a wall!" Ty Lee was eying her. She knew that she was trying to read her aura, so she tried calming herself down.

"Hmmmm, still holding a grudge are we?"

Mai glared at her. "Still reading people without their consent are we?" (A counter sarcastic remark.) "I'm sorry, Ty Lee... It's just, Azula was a cold-hearted freak of nature that openly obsessed about having all the power in the world! Not only that, but she locked both of us up without so much as a hint of regret!"

Ty Lee didn't have to read her aura to know how Mai was feeling. "And now, she's finally getting what she deserves! I know... You give me that explanation all the time."

After few moments of awkward silence surrounding the room, Ty Lee spoke up once again. "Have you seen her lately?"

Mai looked up at her. "No...Have you?"

"No, but I've wanted to!"

"Now you're just plain crazy! You want to go stick your head into a volcano? Fine! Be my guest!"

"Okay Mai, now you're just being incredibly unfair. I think she deserves a shot at redemption what with everything that's happened to her!" Ty Lee got up and started pacing the room. "Think about it! She lost her powers, she was used by her own father, her brother took the throne, and _we_ left her! We might have been her only friends for all we know!"

Mai took that all in and formed her own statement. "Hence the rumors of her insanity..."

"Rumors? What rumors?" Now Ty Lee was curious.

"Oh, you haven't heard? Our little 'friend' has done some screaming at herself during the past week! She's lost her mind Ty Lee! Us visiting her would probably only make things worse!"

"...I think...I think that we should at least try to reach out to her; show her that we DO care!"

"Yeah? And what would you like to say to her exactly? 'Oh, sorry for betraying you and leaving you paralyzed at the Boiling Rock. Oh, and we read your diary while you were gone! Hope you don't hold a grudge against us! But we still care!' SEE! See how stupid that sounds?!"

"C'mon Mai! Put yourself in _her_ position. She's in jail by herself living with people SHE most likely locked up! Who knows what's happening to her right now! ...And besides, aren't you the least bit curious?"

* * *

"Ahhhhh!!" Screaming, the first one to charge at her was the unusually thin man. He was scrawny and looked like he could break at any time. With his arms stretched out to grab Azula's neck, he seemed pretty careless.

_Brute strength won't be enough to take me down!_

"_Azula, you should stop right now! I don't want my daughter getting into any more fights!"_ said her mother.

"Like you cared in the first place..." Azula muttered to herself. Some stared at her oddly.

"_You don't have your powers! What are you going to do?" _This time it was her father that spoke in her head.

"I..." she got distracted by her own voices that the man was able to pin her against the wall with his hands around her neck.

"Beg me for mercy, and maybe I'll let you go." the man stated confidently.

_I need to focus._

Azula, now taking in what had just happened, grabbed his eyes with her thumbs and pushed forcefully. Blood now trickled from his eyes, but he still grabbed onto her. She was suffocating.

"_Think quick!" _a voice that sounded eerily like hers said.

She outstretched her arms, opened up her palms, and slammed each hand flatly onto each of the man's ears with enough force to shatter his eardrum effectively. A crimson line now formed from the opening down to his lobes because of the built up pressure of the air she had forced inside with her palms. This sounded like a big "bang" to the man, and he let go in order to tend to them. While still vulnerable, she swept the ground underneath him with her right leg, and he came tumbling down. She placed her foot onto the man's throat. "Anyone else?" She looked down to see her victim still in agony from the pain.

Now the woman came after her and caught her off guard while Azula was still smiling down towards the defeated man beneath her.

After a quick jab to the left side of her face, the woman quickly brought her leg up and kneed her in the stomach knocking the wind right out of her.

"_I can't believe you didn't see that coming! You're losing your touch." _said the little voice inside her head.

She dropped to her knees, clutched onto her stomach, and tried breathing again. The crowd was cheering for the other contestant. Obviously, they knew of what a tyrant this "princess" was. In fact, Azula could've sworn she recognized some of them.

_They must have been banished by me! Ingrates! They will regret rooting against me one day._

* * *

"I'm sure she's doing just fine Ty Lee!"

* * *

Azula stared at the ground and refused to look up into the eyes of the person that had attacked her.

_Do I really have no followers of my own? How do they see me?_

"_Get up you idiot! Fight for your dignity!" _said the little Azula voice. She was definitely losing it.

"Remember what you did to _me_? Your little Fire Nation army came to our village and burned it down. You killed my entire family! I know it was you! They said they 'were sent by the princess of the Fire Nation'... I have no one else! I committed crimes to survive, but then I finally got caught and sent here, to Boiling Rock. Imagine my surprise when I found out that you were going to be sent here too...You! You deserve NO mercy!"

One of the guards was watching the entire fight with the captain. Bearing it no longer, she gathered up the courage to speak to him. "Captain! Um, I think that we should, um, you know, stop that fight immediately, uh, sir?

The captain just stood there and watched the fallen princess. "...No. I'm feeling a little bored today...Let's just see where this fight will end up. Only interfere if her life is in any immediate danger..."

"Like now, sir?"

"Ha! I don't think so. She'll have to learn her lesson the hard way...Be ready when I give the command!"

Azula wondered if anyone was going to help her. Shouldn't the guards be stopping this fight by now? She looked up and stared at one of the guards, who just stared back at her without moving a single muscle in his body. She noticed that he was smiling at her. Azula came to the conclusion that she was all alone.

"_All you need is you! All you need is yourself! Don't rely on other people for support! Because eventually, they will turn your back on you...Don't show them your weakness!" _explained the voice inside her head. Now they were becoming more frequent, always when she was under a state of stress.

Azula slowly stood up and stared directly into the Water Tribe girl's eyes.

She smirked. "Today, I get my revenge on the 'princess'!" She lifted up a fist and aimed for Azula's nose. Instead, like a lightning flash, Azula quickly drops down and dug her fists into her stomach.

_That one was revenge!_

Then while she was falling to the ground, she threw her open palm against the woman's neck knowing that this was one of the weakest parts of the body that was vulnerable to attack.

_And that one was because you underestimated me! _The woman slumped to the ground grabbing her crushed larynx, trying and failing to breathe.

_"Good job! I couldn't have done it any better myself," _said the voice.

"Now it's my turn!" yelled the last man as he slowly walked up to her. Azula could already tell, this was going to be one long day.

* * *

Mai had gone back to the ship to grab something that she had forgotten, leaving Ty Lee alone with the diary. She was curious herself. From what Mai said, all Azula wanted to do was kill her brother, but she was sure there was more too it.

_Well, she's not here, so I might as well..._

She took the scroll, opened it up, and started looking for the fourth entry. Mai had already described to her what was written in the first three.

_Entry #4_

_I have told the Fire Lord what had happened. I described to him how Uncle had interfered._

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_**Azula walked up to the entrance of the chamber that she knew her father was in. Filled with anxiety, she tried to still her heart that was pulsing faster and faster as she got closer to the guards. "I request a conference with Fire Lord Ozai immediately."**_

_**"Yes, princess Azula," answered one of the guards. "He isn't busy, so you will find him meditating in his usual spot."**_

_**Azula just nodded and stepped inside. She spotted her father surrounded by the all-too-familiar orange flames that protected him. They were intimidating in a way, but Azula found them comforting. It reminded her of her own element.**_

_**She walked up to the front of the "throne" and got down on one knee with her head bowed. "Father, I've come back, as you can see."**_

_**Disturbed from his meditation, Ozai opened his eyes and looked down to the person who had talked to him. He took a while to answer back, but only because he knew what had happened. He could see it in the way Azula carried herself. "And you failed to bring them back."**_

_**Azula cringed when she heard that word, "failed." It wasn't one that she was usually associated with. She was surprised, however, by the tone of her father's voice. He didn't sound angry, more like calm and collected. She really didn't how to respond. "I-"**_

_**The Fire Lord held up one hand to silence her. "I expected as much. You were up against my brother-the 'Dragon of the West'- and you were stopped by him no less?"**_

_**He was dead on. "Yes...Please forgive me for my failure Fire Lord. I should have at least brought back Zuko in cuffs."**_

_**Ozai was contemplating to himself when he held his chin with his right hand. "Yes, you should have, but of course, I expected that too."**_

_**"They escaped, father, into the woods. I would have gotten Zuko had not Uncle redirected my lightning attack."**_

_**After a few moments of silence, Ozai spoke. "Don't worry Azula. I will spare you the punishment of your recent shortcomings should you accept another task that I'm about to give you..."**_

_**This was definitely unlike her father. He didn't even sound remotely disappointed. She hesitated a little and finally answered back. "This task... What exactly is it?"**_

_**The Fire Lord smiled. "The Avatar...is alive."**_

_**Azula goes wide-eyed, but understood right away. Her father spoke yet again. "That doesn't change your current mission. Zuko and Iroh are still traitors to the Fire Nation..."**_

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

_He had given me the mission of taking down the Avatar along with capturing my brother and uncle..._

Ty Lee already knew this part. Azula had debriefed them of her next mission. She was practically at her side for most of it. She yawned and decided to cheat by checking out the very last paragraph of the entire scroll.

_...I had finally done it. I had finally taken over Ba Sing Se, something my uncle _attempted_ to do, but never accomplished. He had an army. I had two of my friends and myself. Well, I suppose the Dai Li had helped, but without my tactics, they would have never come under my control._

_The impenetrable fortress... Ba Sing Se is finally mine__!_

That was it. She had reached the end of the scroll. But something wasn't right...

_**Looks like she ran out room to write more...Or this could be the ending, who knows?**_

"Ty Lee...what are you doing?"

She had become so engrossed with inspecting the scroll that she had no idea Mai had just walked in. She jumped up in surprise.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay. You can read it. Like I said before, you are as much as a part of this as I am."

She already knew that. She was just caught off guard, that's all.

"Yeah, I know...Hey, Mai, I was just wondering...Did you ever finish reading this scroll?"

"No, I just got to the part where Azula nearly _kills_ Zuko!"

"Oh, stop it!" She walked over to Mai, scroll in hand, and showed her findings. "I read the last part, and all it talked about was how she finally conquered Ba Sing Se with us! That was a LONG time ago! There has to be more!" She pointed to the end. "Look! ...There's gotta be another scroll!"

Mai carefully read the last paragraph over and over and thought about it. "I think you're right! Azula wouldn't just leave her 'memoirs' of herself _unfinished_! ...And besides, it looks like she ran out of room to write!"

"I thought that too, but where could they be? Do you know?"

"No...but I think I know someone who does..."

"The librarian?" Ty Lee responded.

Mai nodded. "She 'found' this one, right? I'm willing to bet she found the others too..." She took the scroll back. "But let's just finish this one before we even think of looking for the others, if they do exist, that is."

**So sorry that was incredibly inaccurate! But you guys can forgive me right? XD I had to fix it right away. It would've bothered me all night! :b Next chapter will be coming out soon as a sorry-gift for everyone! Special thanks goes to razzledazzle41191 who pointed out the mistakes! You're my life-saver!**


	4. A Day in the Life of Pt 2

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes: **Hey, back with another chapter. Decided to put this up quickly because I probably won't be updating in a while... Sorry! Anyways, in my opinion, this is one of the funniest chapters in the story. I'm trying to be a bit more creative. Thanks to all who reviewed and read last time! You guys are awesome! Oh wait, before you guys read, here's the answer to what was the most ironic thing about the last chapter...Pretty much everyone who answered was right! There was plenty of irony in it. Give yourselves ten points!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar or its characters...Wait! Let me check...Nope! Still don't!

**Chapter 4**

**A Day in the Life of...Pt. 2**

_FLASHBACK_

"_I'm sorry to disturb you sir, but I have grave news that I must express to you." The woman was bowing while she said this._

_Putting down a scroll that he had been reading for over at least an hour, the man looked up into the the woman's eyes. "Well if it's grave, I'm not sure I'd like to hear it." He laughed a little._

_The woman now looked even more burdened. He took it as a sign that he shouldn't have said that. "What's wrong? Is there something bothering you?"_

"_The diary, sir, is gone. I'm afraid Fire Lady Mai took it...I'm so sorry! She just ran off with it! I couldn't stop her, and if I did, it would have looked suspicious. As you know, you had requested to keep it a secret..." She waited for his response._

_The man just sat there looking confused and bothered at the same time. He didn't want her to get involved with this. "I see...But I still have the others." He took the other two and held it up in the air. "I think I'm getting close, Lynn. I can feel it...Did you happen to at least finish reading the first one?"_

_She nodded. "Yes, of course! It had ended with the fall of Ba Sing Se."_

"_And...What did you make of it?"_

"_I know nothing more than you do, sir." Silence engulfed the room. The man now got up from his chair and started pacing the small room. The woman was still awaiting orders, and after a few minutes of watching him, she told him what was on her mind. "You know, when she finishes the one she has, she might become curious. She might come back searching for the other two..."_

_The man stopped walking and scratched his head. "Yeah...I know..."_

"_What would you like to do, sir?" _

_He was formulating a plan in his head. "I want you to not tell her anything...When she arrives back from Kyoshi Island, probably with Ty Lee in tow, she'll be coming straight back to where she found the first one..."_

"_..In the library.." she finished._

"_Yes. But I don't want her getting involved. She'll ask too many questions, and I don't want any more of a hassle than I already have."_

"_...What should I tell her if she does come asking me for the others?"_

_He smiled at her. "I don't know. Use your imagination!"_

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

That conversation had taken place nearly two days ago. She had been thinking of what he had told her, and so, for the past day and a half, she had been trying to create a story to tell the Fire Lady when she did arrive. She had beating herself up, first of all, for losing the scroll, and second, for allowing it to be found by Fire Lady Mai and doing nothing while she ran away with it. She was always seen as a clumsy push-over by everyone she knew. She didn't want that title hanging over her head anymore. It was a dead weight that she had wanted to get rid of for a long time now. She made up her mind. She was going to fix it one way or the other. She would definitely not allow Mai to find the others. It wasn't something she should be getting herself involved with, anyways.

The librarian sighed and began to replace scrolls on the shelves they belonged to.

* * *

"Now it's my turn!" The well-built man stepped up and stared her down. That of course wouldn't phase the already battered princess. She had resolve, and she wasn't going to quit any time soon. However, she had already violated the rules. She would definitely have her privileges taken away.

She thought that maybe she could explain herself to the man standing before her; tell him that she was only acting in self defense, not out of fear of him, but out of fear of not being able to see the outside for a while. "Look, I'm sorry for hurting your friends, but I was only trying to protect myself. You see, that woman over there," she said pointing to the cook, "Lulu, or whatever her name is, attacked me first. I thought I had the right to at least stop the attack!" She considered her case. It did seem plausible, and she was hoping he would understand. She didn't like this either. It sounded like groveling, and she thought that such things were beneath her.

"And you expect me to believe_ that_?" He seemed surprised, shocked.

"Well, yes! Of course! I give you my word as a princess." She didn't think he'd buy that. Well, at least it bought her enough time to rest up a bit.

"Uh-huh. Just look at what you've done to them!" He pointed to the two others at the ground. She looked. One had blood dripping out of his eyes and ears. The other was struggling to breathe. Both were lying on the ground, being tended by the inmates that had apparently knew them. "You must be joking if you think you're going to get away with attempted murder with a simple 'please,'" said the man.

"Just do it, man! Get on with it!" yelled one of the audience members. Others cheered to provoke him.

"Well, it looks like you're quite the 'popular one' around here..."stated her opponent with a huge grin.

Her temper was going crazy. Her anger was rising. She wasn't sure who she should attack first: the audience or the man before her. She decided to go for the latter. "Fine, let's get this over with!" she yelled while charging at him. A simple kick to the face would start things off nicely. This time, she was ready. This time, she was focused on fighting properly.

She got close enough to him and began a roundhouse kick in the air. Surprisingly, the man just stood there. He quickly understood his current situation, and effortlessly blocked her kick. She attempted another kick and then a few punches, all blocked with ease by this man.

_If only I had my powers, this would've been over in seconds._

"_Oh yes...if only..." _said the little Azula voice. She was going crazy. Now she was hearing herself talk to herself in third person.

_How about one more roundhouse kick..._

She did the same kick that she had pulled off in the beginning only to have her leg that was in the process of touching his face grabbed by his left hand. She felt trapped. Then in one swift move, she was pulled by her right leg into the air. Blood came rushing down inside her head giving her face an unusual strained look. She was upside down! Even worse, she was being held upside down by some dirty convict.

He brought her level to his face. "You know, I usually don't attack little girls...but, in your case, maybe I can make an exception!" He smiled and threw her in front of him. She was flying into the air, but quickly regained her composure, flipped with her hands, and landed on her feet.

_Little girl?!_

"I'm no little girl, you filthy mongrel...I'm your worst nightmare!" She got into her fighting stance with her eyes narrowed into furious slits.

"_Azula! Watch your-"_ began warning her mother, but she was quickly interrupted by another voice.

"_Yes! Brilliant! Fight on!" _spoke herself.

She shook her head to maintain her focus. Those voices were definitely distracting her.

* * *

_Entry #5_

_After leaving the palace, I decided to head for my ship immediately. I would want to get a head start on capturing my brother and uncle. Unfortunately, I was advised to leave this army and continue my mission with just a small party. _

_Today, I go recruiting for two other members to add to my attack force. My advisor was right. Traveling around with a huge force would make me stick out like a sore thumb. Several of the soldiers have tried volunteering and are now showing me what they're capable of. One of them nearly burned my face off, so I had to banish him. Attack on the princess? I don't think so, unless you wanted to be charged with treason against a member of the Fire Nation royal family, then, please! Be my guest._

_Another potential has just arrived! He is short, young, and inexperienced, but wow, I am quite impressed by his physical appearance, if only to distract from his other "natural charms." He is quite muscular and has HUGE forearms. It's like looking at a midget on steroids. The sight is rare and unexplainable, but you just can't rip your eyes away from it. Now I must go and witness his bending in an effort to continue my mission by quickly finishing this drafting..._

_Entry #6_

_No on the midget!_

_Entry #7_

_I give up! Is EVERYONE on this ship THAT hopeless! I can't seem to find any suitable sidekicks that meet my requirements. How hard can they be to meet? _

_1. He/She must be able to firebend. (That's pretty much everyone on the ship!)_

_2. They must be physically fit to even keep up with me._

_3. They must be more then 3" tall!_

_And finally..._

_4. They must be willing to submit to any orders I give them. (Including running into any traps that might be a hindrance to our mission.)_

_Honestly! They're not that hard to follow! I must have a ship filled with circus people...Wait...That's it! Circus people! Ty lee! Yes, I remember her! I haven't seen her since our days in the Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls. Perfect! Yes, she will make an excellent candidate for my attack force. But, now I must think of the third...I remember being friends with another girl. She was quite pale, had funny looking hair..._

"That's it! Give me that candle Ty Lee!"

"Hey, hey, No! Calm down! Just calm down. I'll take over from here..."

_...and looked gloomy everyday. What was her name again?... Ray? Lay? No...It started with an "M"... Mei? Mai? Is that it?_

"Hey wait! Mai! Come back! I'm sure she didn't mean it!"

_Well, whatever her name was, I remember her being quite the expert when it came to knives and daggers!_

_Well, that settles that then! We head for "Omashu" tomorrow, bright and early. Oh yes! I can already taste the victory in my mouth!_

* * *

The unusually large man began to laugh. This in turn made the other inmates laugh out loud as well. Azula's cheeks were turning red. Not standing for it any longer, she charged at him while his guard was down, kicked him on his side, placed an uppercut on his jaw, clasped her hands together, and brought them to the side of her victim's head with all the strength she had. He bent down but didn't fall.

_This man is truly a worthy opponent, but he's nothing I can't handle!_

Surprisingly, he got back up and spit out some blood from his mouth. He was towering over her practically. Azula looked up to the man's eyes, meeting an angry look. With her own slightly widened, her heart began to beat faster and faster.

He nodded at her. "You're pretty good, kid!" Then with an abnormal amount of speed it seemed, he swept the floor underneath her. She was falling, but right as she was, she saw two fists coming for her chest. They make contact, and she was sent flying onto the ground in the middle of the yard bouncing once and finally coming to a halt. "But, you ain't good enough!" yelled the man a few feet away.

A roar erupted from the crowd. Azula felt a strong burning sensation in her chest. She was laying on her side, and found it hard to move. She turned over to her back side to try to to at least alleviate some of what's ailing her. Pain exploded from the movement. She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming.

_Wrong move..._

The sun was blaring down on her. She could only use one eye, but that was enough to let her know that her attacker was coming towards her. With a few seconds to spare, Azula forcefully turned over, ignored the pain, and got on her hands and knees. She coughed out blood, and after, wiped her mouth. She was beginning to feel dizzy from exhaustion.

"_How long can you keep this up? Huh, Azula? You're so filled with pride, you provoked him to attack you!" _explained her mother.

"_Oh shut up mom!" _yelled herself to her mother.

_Great! Now my voices are talking to each other!_

As she was looking at the ground, she saw a shadow come up. It was her opponent. She didn't look up. What was the point? She was too tired, and besides, she didn't want to show that she was losing. Her pride was what was keeping her from falling.

"Hey, look! I feel bad for ya already! Tell ya what! You say 'sorry' and I'll stop attacking you...Well, whad'ya say?"

_That's it? That's all I need to say? Sorry?_

"_Do it!" _commanded her mother.

"_Don't you dare!" _yelled the little Azula to herself.

_What do I do?_

"_You will not show him any sign of weakness!"_

"_No! Just apologize and end it here!"_

Two choices, two outcomes...She had to make a decision. She opened her mouth.

_This is it! I'll just say "I'm sorry" and I'll walk away in peace!_

"No! I will not apologize to a cretin like you! You deserve to _die_!" was what came out of her mouth. _What the? What just came out of my mouth?_

Enraged, the man kicked her on the side, and she was rolled over to her back once again, panting heavily. She felt a hand grab her collar again and she was lifted into the air. "You know, I'm a really nice guy once you get to know me. But the things you say can really hurt someone's feelings!"

_I do not need another lecture!_

Waking up from her daze, Azula began to scream angrily and moved her arms wildly like a crazed animal trapped in a cage. She tried punching him, kicking him, but he held her far enough to render those moves useless. She even tried biting him. It worked, and he flinched, but she got a different response. "You crazy witch!" Then, the man lifted a hand, balled it into a fist, and punched her in the face knocking her out. The last thing she saw before blacking out was the stretch of blue sky above her.

* * *

_Entry #8_

_I finally find Ty Lee, and what has she been doing for the past seven years? She's joined the circus! I mean, c'mon! I knew she was a freak of nature..._

"Would you like for me to take over Ty Lee? Hmmmm??"

"Well, I consider that to be a complement...Now, if you don't mind, I'll continue reading!"

_...but I didn't think she'd really join the circus! She always mentioned it, but I never saw her as the type to actually carry out their goals in life. To be honest, I was quite happy seeing my old friend again...I missed her...Well, enough of the sentimentality! _

_I tried bribing her to come along with me, and you know what her answer is? "I would love to!...But the truth is, my aura has never been any pinker..." Yes, I lost a few IQ points after hearing that and couldn't think properly for the next twenty minutes, because my own response was that I was going to see her show..._

_This was part of my plan, however. I would see her show, scare her to death to join me, and then we'd both go searching for Lay... I love my evil little plans!_

_Entry #9_

_Success!_

_I've got Ty Lee on my side after setting some fire on the net beneath her and letting out several scary animals._

_Now, It's Ray's turn!_

_Entry #10_

_So, we finally enter the rich city of Omashu! Oh how I hate that name! It's so droll. Anyways, we go looking for Mai and we do finally find her, but not without a few distractions! As we walked to the governor's house, we found several people running like crazy yelling something about having a particular disease. Pentapox I believe?_

"And she couldn't even remember my own name?!"

"Mai, she threatened me with animals! Who's got it worse here?"

"She was losing her mind from the start!"

_Idiots! All idiots! Pentapox? Ha! I wanted to yell, "It's not real! Get over it!" But I decided to let them wallow in their own misery. Let them figure out that they're not sick!_

_We arrive at the governor's house to find who we were looking for (Whose name I finally discovered was Mai) and find that the governor himself has not done a good job of watching over the city! Unbelievable! My father gives him the city, and all he could think about was pentapox! I wanted to slap his face right then and there!_

"She _what_?!"

"Look, if you're going to interrupt so many times Mai, wait until the end at least, okay?"

_..Instead, I rename the city to "City of New Ozai." It has a nice ring to it I must say. Then the Governor drops some heavy news on us. Apparently, Mai's brother Tom-Tom has been kidnapped by the Avatar! He's here in this city! I will finally be able to capture him and fulfill one of the things I was sent to do by my father!_

_Entry #11_

_The only good things about this trip were: that I was able to find myself two recruits, I finally found the Avatar, and we "rescued" Tom-Tom, or more like he was given back to the governor. He was so close! Just a couple shots away! I was sure of it! While Mai and Ty Lee fought off the Avatar's lackeys, I went for him myself. Unfortunately, they were able to escape on the flying behemoth they call "Appa." I was so furious, I nearly burned down a few wooded store carts._

_However, here I am writing now, trying ever so slightly to calm myself down. There was more good than there was bad that had happened today. I will just have to come up with another plan that utilizes everything I've now gained. Soon, the Avatar will see his demise, but not after I capture Zuko and Iroh. I had nearly forgotten about them. _

_In due time, everything will click into place..._

* * *

Azula finally became conscious after several hours. She has yet another headache, more pain from her chest and stomach, and now a blinding sensation from her nose. She ached everywhere. The first thing she tried to do was open her eyes. She opened them, and all she saw was darkness. She observed her environment. She was back in her cell, that much she can tell. It was night as she looked out the window, and for some reason, she was lying on the ground.

She tried getting up, but only made it halfway as the pain forced her back down. She gave up and instead, tried rubbing her head. As she brought her hand up to rub it, she heard a sort of rattling noise.

_That sounded like chains..._

She looked around but saw no one. _Must have been my imagination._

She tried rubbing her head again, and heard more chains moving.

_Wait a minute..._

She looked at her wrists, and saw that they were encased in chains that were attached to the wall. Her feet were chained up as well.

_What's going on!_

She started panicking. Her mind was starting to clear, and bit by bit, memories of her fight in the prison yard came flowing back in.

_The last thing I remember is fighting that huge knucklehead, and trying to apologize for my actions... But I didn't. In fact, I told him that he was a cretin..._

Her head began to ache once more and she rubbed it, but on the way up, she felt something else. It covered her entire mouth. It felt like a mask. It was. It was a mask to try to disable her from biting, something she had done recently to the man that had attacked her.

_No! _"I will not be treated like a caged animal" she yelled. It sounded muffled through the mask. The guard looked through the bars of the cell she had been guarding. She just shook her head and looked away.

_Pity? On me? No! I should be the one to pity _you_! I will not be treated this way!_

She tried struggling and getting up. Once she was up, she tried ignoring all the pain, and headed for the guard to strangle her. She was stopped abruptly by the chains she was attached to. She tried pulling and pulling, but it was like she was walking in place. She was going nowhere, fast. In a fit of rage, she screamed and tugged at her chains from the wall. It was no use. There was no escaping her current predicament.

She got to her knees and started wailing. Tears were pouring from her eyes, and the guard was disturbed by the sight. She hated being in prison. She hated everyone around her. She hated her brother, and most of all, she hated herself.

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated! Next chapter: More diary, and more on finding out why it was in the library!**


	5. In Retrospect

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes**: Hey, whad'ya know? I updated! Thanks to all who reviewed last time:

spedclass, Elenar Thorn, netbreaker0, TrueThinker, Nikkel, Cold-Chaos, razzledazzle41191, insanehouseaddict, and Bluegoat

College student orientation is coming up, and I want to get out as many chapters as I can. I seriously want to finish this story before classes start, but it's likely that won't happen. Special thanks goes to _TrueThinker_ who saw I was making people sound OOC. Hope you didn't take that shark comment seriously! XD Honestly, the last chapter was more fun to write! It was like a break from seriousness... Anyways, I'll try to keep them the way they were created. Consider the previous chapter to be a little vacation to relax the mind. Thanks! Feel free to point out anything wrong! I really need to fix these mistakes!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar or its characters.

**Chapter 5**

**In Retrospect**

"So, Mai...Have you thought about my offer?" asked Ty Lee lying on her bed. It was night, and the two began to settle in after they had read a few of the entries in Azula's diary.

Mai was on her own bed facing away from the window. She was leaning on her side feeling drowsy and was about to fall asleep when the ever-so-optimistic Ty Lee chimed in. Her eyelids opened up.

"You mean about burning the diary? Sure, I'm up for it..." she said sarcastically to get her off her back. Her face seemed stiff. It didn't change. She was frowning as usual.

"Ha-ha!" faked-laughed Ty Lee. "No, silly, I mean visiting Azula. Have you even thought about it?"

"It crossed my mind once or twice..."

"And during those two times, did you make a decision?"

Mai wanted to sleep badly, so, instead of answering back, Mai stayed silent for a while and when she thought she was in the clear, she closed her eyes again.

A pillow came out of nowhere attacking Mai on the arm. Surprised, her eyes bolted open again.

"I'm not letting you sleep until you answer."

Mai got up into a sitting position staring at Ty Lee with bored eyes. "So you attack me with a pillow?" She grabbed the pillow that was thrown at her and threw it back to Ty Lee. "Here, you might need this back..."

"Mai, it's just a simple yes-or-no question. So, what'll it be? Will you come with me to see her? ...You know what day is coming up, don't you?"

"Yes, I know. How could I forget?"

Ty Lee's eyes lit up, and a smile formed on her face. "So, you will?!"

_You're too nice of a friend Ty Lee. How did you ever become hers?_

"Okay." She sighed. "I'll do it. I'll go visit 'her highness' with you..." She crossed her arms and thought about her recent decision.

"Oh, you will?!" Ty Lee jumped up. "Thanks Mai! You're the best!" she yelled while giving Mai a bear hug.

"Just don't make this a habit, okay?" She gave her one of her small Mai smiles. (You know, the smile that kinda looked like a straight line with an iota of a curl at the end.) "I'm only coming because you asked me too..."

_...And because it's her birthday._

* * *

"_Happy birthday Azula!"said a nine year old Zuko with a small smile on his face. He went up to her to try to hug her. He was denied, and a hand from his sister pushed him onto the ground._

"_What are you doing, Zuko?"asked an eight year old Azula looking disgusted._

"_Hey! Mom said I had to give you a hug, but if you don't want it, that's fine with me!"_

_Their mother came running up to Zuko after seeing him on the ground. "Zuko, are you all right?"_

_He got up and dusted himself off. "I'm fine mom, but Azula doesn't-" _

_To try to cover up for her actions, Azula quickly interrupted. "Doesn't want to start her own birthday without a hug from her own brother!" With that, she approached Zuko, and placed both of her arms around him. After seeing them separate from the hug, Ursa smiled. "Yes, of course, dear. Happy birthday Azula!" She placed her hand on Azula's head and brought her into a small hug. She left, and Azula pushed Zuko down again. "Never do that again!" _

_She rushed off to meet Ty Lee and Mai who had just entered the expansive palace with gifts. Zuko's eyes were lured to Mai, and he blushed a little. He slowly walked up to where his sister went._

_Ty Lee's eyes were wide. "Wow! Azula, you never told us how huge this place was!"_

_Mai still carried her blank expression. "Eh, it's all right..." _

_She spotted Zuko, and now she blushed a little. Azula tried to ignore it. It was her day, and she would get everything she would want. However, she couldn't help it anymore, and decided to comment on the situation. "Are you two lovebirds just gonna stand there and stare at each other for the rest of the day, or we all going to get this birthday started?" In the background, Ty Lee laughed. Zuko and Mai just blushed even more. Her brother glared at her, and Mai shook her head to maintain the mask of an expression she had put on._

"_Right, well here you go, Azula. Hope you like it." Mai said in a monotone voice handing over her gift._

"_Oh, right!" said Ty Lee doing the same thing. "Happy birthday, Azula!"_

_Azula accepted her gifts with a victorious grin. "Pleasant gifts, I'm...sure..." she said shaking one of them. "Well, we can't just stand here all day! Let's go!" They all decided to head out into the garden to watch Azula open her gifts._

* * *

Zuko woke up from the dream. He was tired, and during the only rare chance he got to have a full night of sleep, he just couldn't keep his mind off of everything that bothered him. After rubbing his eyes a little, the Fire Lord walked out onto his balcony. The sight seemed to calm his mind.

There was a full moon out, and it looked large in the middle of the dark sky. Stars decorated the sky everywhere, and they twinkled every so often. He rested his elbows on the railing, and closed his eyes. His mind was mostly filled with thoughts of his sister. He had wanted to help her so badly. Then his mind was taken back to the time of the _Agni Kai_...

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

_Katara had urged him to leave with her to meet up with the others. However, Zuko stood there like a brick wall and stared at the rare sight in front of him. It was unusually frightening, yet sad at the same time. It brought chills up and down his spine. He couldn't move his eyes away from her._

_There she lay, like a caged animal, yelling wildly into the air, spitting out blue flames every once in a while. She was crying uncontrollably, and she was chained to the grating of the drainage ditch that lay underneath her. Her hair was a mess, and her make-up was barely applied. It looked like she didn't even care what she looked like, which was odd in and of itself. _

_This once powerful fighter, "prodigy" many called her, was reduced to nothing more than a mere child who had only wanted her freedom back; so badly in fact, blood came dripping from her wrists through the chains as a result of her wrestling with them. _

_Zuko continued to stare for quite a long time, an eternity, it seemed. He had noticed that something wet splashed onto his face. He brought his hands up to inspect the source. He was crying. He was crying for the ruthless killer whom he had called "sister" for the past fourteen years. Never in his life did he expect to show sympathy for one such as her: a liar, a murderer, a strategist, a tyrant; a friend, a sister, a player, and a pawn._

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

Zuko had always wanted to visit where she now lay harmless. He had wanted to confront her and talk about what bothered her. He had wanted to get her feelings out in the open. He wanted to establish a bond that they had never had in the beginning. He wanted to be her big brother, but he had never visited her or seen her since their _Agni Kai. _He either never had enough time because he was too busy with his responsibilities as a Fire Lord, or he had never gathered up the courage to talk to her because he was unsure of what he would say to her.

The only thing that had kept him informed about his sister's well-being was the reports from the guards.

Screaming, yelling, crying, fighting, talking to herself, hearing voices.

That was what he was informed of every time he read a report. Every single move she had made, Zuko knew about it. The guards' conclusion of her was insanity. His conclusion: a cry for help. That time when he had seen her chained to the floor, he knew there was something wrong. He didn't want to ignore her, and he wouldn't start now.

"Azula..." he had whispered quietly to himself.

_I'll save you from yourself._

* * *

"Mai, when's it coming? I'm getting tired of waiting, and if we don't leave now, the day'll be over when we get there!"

"Ty Lee, I sent the messenger airhawk last night after you kept on bugging me about how long it would take to get there. I told them to meet us here in the morning with the balloon. It should be coming any second now, so hold your ostrich horses."

"Balloon?! Aw man! I thought something bigger would be coming to pick us up!"

"Ty, we're in the middle of a peace-keeping with the other nations if you haven't noticed. Us arriving in an airship would only make matters worse." Mai picked up the scroll and unravelled it. "How 'bout we keep ourselves occupied with a little light reading?"

Ty Lee stopped pacing and sat down after a moment of silence. She sighed. "Fine! I'm just feeling a little restless, that's all..."

Mai's eyebrows went up. "Sure, Ty...just 'a little'..."

Ty Lee stuck out her tongue and responded. "Whatever Mai! ...Just do your thing."

Mai nodded and turned her eyes onto the scroll.

_Entry #12_

_Tonight...I can't sleep. I'm on the deck, sitting on the side. The moon is shining up above me, and as I write this now, I look to it for comfort. Ironic, isn't it? The moon, which can exponentially raise the power of any waterbender by two, gives me, a firebender whose power comes from the sun, a sense of serenity and ease. Perhaps it is a human thing: to be comforted by such trivial sights; a human thing I find soothing. It's the only thing keeping my scattered thoughts from driving me crazy. My mind is not as organized as it should be. Even now, I find it hard to write with the chaos erupting in my mind._

_The source of my problem: my "dreams"_

_Every time I attempt to rest, I am brought back to a time I dislike immensely. The time my mother betrayed me..._

_In an effort to edify my train of thought, I shall explain what happened in my past that has bothered me up until now. This is my own personal journal, so I have nothing to worry about..._

"Looks like she miscalculated two big factors..." muttered Mai while she looked at Ty Lee. Ty Lee just nodded at stared at the scroll to urge her to continue reading. She got the hint and read on.

_The time is six years in the past. I am eight years old and am already seen by my trainers as a prodigy. My powers are advancing in a rapid rate, and my father thinks I am even more capable than Zuko. It's my birthday, at the end of the day. Mai and Ty Lee have already left. The sun is setting, and I am in the garden looking for ZuZu to play even more tricks on him, if only to annoy him._

_When I do find him, he's sitting on a bench by himself near a pond feeding a few bread crumbs to the turtle ducks in it. I find it strange because I usually find Zuko feeding them with mom, but, strangely enough, she was absent. _

_With no parental guidance to hinder my want of having fun, I walk up in front of him..._

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

**_Azula spotted Zuko and walked up in front of him. "So, did you have a lot of fun with Mai?" She smiled wickedly._**

**"_Can't you see that I'm busy Azula? These turtle ducks are hungry!" He got up and walked to the edge of the pond. He broke off a piece of bread, crumbled it with his index finger and thumb, and placed it gently on the surface of the water allowing the buoyancy to move it to the turtle ducks. Azula frowned in impatience and watched what he did for a few more minutes. _**

**_After a while, Zuko ran out of bread and ran back inside to retrieve more. "Hey, Azula, watch them for me will ya?" he asked her before he left._**

**_Azula now turned her head to stare at the turtle ducks. They were all aligned in a straight row with the littles ones following the adult. She figured it out to be the mother. _**

**_She thought to herself. She had always despised Zuko for gaining the attention of their mother. She had always wondered why her mother had always spent more time with him than she did with her. She was becoming more and more angry as these thoughts came popping into her head. She observed the situation the turtle ducks were in. _**

**_It had seemed that while she was thinking, most of the little turtle ducks had floated to different locations, while a single one remained with the parent. Her eyes narrowed into slits. She was becoming jealous! It was her day, and it had always seemed like Zuko had won it over her. She glared at the young turtle duck. Her eyes saw turtle ducks, but her mind saw Zuko and her mother, who was favoring him over her.  
_**

**_Her angry expression changed to a cruel smile in less than a second. "Looks like a practice session is in order." She lifted up her hand and created a ball of orange flame in her hand. Then, she stared at the little turtle duck. She swung her arm back and threw the flame at it. Its feathers caught on fire while its shell remained immune, but a few ashes had scorched it. The turtle duck began swimming around crazily trying to get rid of the fire. It wasn't thinking properly Azula had noticed since it didn't try diving into the pond to quench the fire. It quacked loudly. "Silly turtle duck. Quacking is for cowards!" Then Azula had turned her head to look at the mother. It tried gathering the others behind her to keep them safe. Azula wasn't done just yet. She gathered another ball of flame in her hand to throw it at her. "Have you finally learned your lesson yet?" She swung her arm back once again but was stopped immediately by a hand that had grabbed her wrist. The fire disintegrated.  
_**

**_She turned around to see her mother. Her look was one of shock then anger then disappointment. She scolded her. "Azula! What do you think you're doing?!" Just then Zuko came out running. "Mom! What happened?" Zuko was shocked to find one of them on fire in the pond. His eyes widened. Azula grinned at her brother. Her mother still had a firm grip on her wrist, and she shook her a little. "Do you know what you just did?!" She pointed a finger at the turtle duck. _****_Zuko by then had grabbed some water in his hands and splashed it onto the attacked turtle duck. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to save it from a few burns._****_ "You almost took an innocent life!"  
_**

**_Azula was still feeling a little angry from jealousy, so she held up her head in defiance. "It deserves to die! It's weak..." Ursa gasped. She looked at her daughter in horror and fear._**

* * *

_My mother had tried explaining to me that I had almost taken an innocent life, but I didn't care! She had sent me to my room and had specifically told me that she would give me my punishment once she finished some "task." I wasn't an idiot! I knew that she was going to talk to dad about this. Whenever I did things like this, she would always consult him..._

* * *

_**Azula waited half a minute before getting off of her bed and heading for her closed bedroom door. She opened it quietly and walked out silently into the hallway. She spotted her mother turning a corner. She waited another few seconds and decided to follow. She knew where she was going. She was headed to the courtyard. She knew because during these times her father would practice his firebending.**_

_**When her mother walked outside, she quickly tiptoed to the door and slightly opened it after her mother had closed it. The guard wasn't here. It was Azula's lucky break. She adjusted her ears to try to pick up what they were saying.**_

"_**Fire Prince Ozai, I request to speak with you privately." Her father had stood down from his fighting stance.**_

"_**Yes, Ursa, what is it this time?"**_

"_**It involves the well-being of one of your children..."**_

"_**Oh really? And what has Zuko done now? Can he finally perfect the beginning firebending form?"**_

_**Ursa shook her head. "No, not Zuko. This time it's Azula."**_

_**She was right. Azula leaned in to make sure she heard everything.**_

"_**Hm? What did she do?"**_

"_**I walk into the garden, and I find her torturing turtle ducks with fire! She nearly killed one of them! If I hadn't stopped her, they all probably would have been dead by now!"**_

"_**And what would you like for me to do, dear?" questioned Ozai with an eyebrow arched. "Stop her from firebending?"**_

_**"Yes, that's exactly what I want you to do! I want you to stop teaching her fighting! Her morals have been twisted, and this incident proves it... I can tell. There's something wrong with her!  
**_

_**Azula's face was expressionless. She stared down at the floor in thought. Never had it occurred to her that she was changing for the worst. She did what she thought felt right and never showed any repentance.**_

_**Azula noticed that someone was turning into the hallway, so she headed back to her room.**_

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

_That day, I was labeled a monster by my own mother. It had seemed from that day forward, she had never looked at me the same way. She had wanted me to show "remorse." Remorse is a weakness reserved for fools and ignorant people who see it as strength. It has no place in my mind. Surely she had seen that? Showing mercy to the innocent is showing cowardice. It shows your fear when you should be instilling it in others. It's what I was always taught, and it's something that I will always keep with me for the rest of my life._

_This is what plagues me in my dreams, and it is what plagues me in my nightmares. I will never be able to escape it..._

Ty Lee's eyes widened in shock at the discovery. "Whoa...a monster, huh?"

Mai closed her eyes. She agreed wholeheartedly. "Revenge...is a dish best served cold..." said Mai with her expression still set into the same position: bored.

Ty Lee looked up outside the window. "So, she was taught to show no compassion for anyone at a very young age."

Mai looked at her. "It explains a lot of things." Mai had wanted to ask her this question the entire time. "So, Ty Lee, once we see her, what are you going to say to her?"

Ty Lee slowly sat back down. "Hmmm, I haven't really thought about it!" Ty Lee gives her a huge grin.

Mai slapped her forehead in her mind, while on the outside, she still looked calm. Ty Lee continued. "Well, maybe we could talk to her about what we just learned today?"

"Or we could tell her 'happy birthday,' wish her a good life, and walk on out of there."

"Mai, after reading that, do you still think of her in the same way?"

Mai thought for a few seconds. In reality, her feelings were mixed. She didn't know if she should be angry at her or feel sorry for her. "I-"

Then all of a sudden, a slight buzzing noise was heard in the distance. Ty Lee jumped up. "About time!" She placed her hands on her hips.

Mai hadn't really noticed. Her mind was still focused on the question. She saw that Ty Lee was standing up. "Oh, so it's here finally?"

Ty Lee turned her head to look at Mai. She had a huge grin on her face. "Looks like I wasn't the only impatient one around here."

Mai expressed nothing on her face. "You're mistaken Ty Lee. I want to get this over with. It's a chore that needs to be done just for the sake of doing chores."

Ty Lee bowed her head at Mai. "Oh yes Fire Lady Mai. Being one of royalty, you must be an expert!"

Mai felt annoyed. "Maybe my sarcasm's finally rubbing off on you."

Ty Lee looked up. "Anyone who's been with you long enough can't help but say sarcastic things after a while." She still held her big smile.

Mai looked outside. "Well, it looks like it's landing." She headed for the door and turned around. "C'mon Ty Lee. Our ride awaits." Ty Lee followed Mai outside as they headed for the balloon.

* * *

Zuko was weighing something important in his mind. He knew that today was Azula's birthday, but he wasn't sure if he had wanted to see her.

_It's her birthday. She shouldn't be all by herself today. I should be there..._

_And say what? "Happy Birthday, sis! So what's new?"_

He slapped his forehead several times. He was debating with himself. He grabbed a coin.

_Okay, heads, I'm going, tails I'm staying and I'll just go see her another day._

He flipped the coin into the air. He underestimated his own strength, however, and it went unusually high. Suddenly, the coin came back, but as he tried to catch, he nearly fell off the railing of the balcony. It arched over the edge. The coin fell into the ground three stories beneath. He slapped his forehead again.

_I'm brilliant..._

This time he was gonna go with his gut instincts, and instincts were telling him to leave now.

_That's it! I've made my decision!_

He grabbed the two scrolls that he had been reading recently, and headed outside to find his personal air balloon.

Meanwhile, in the ground below the balcony, the coin had rolled down a hill. It finally hit flat ground and came rolling to a stop. On the top was the picture of Fire Lord Sozin's head.

**I died. This chapter is long and has no action. XD Anyways, thanks for reading! Any corrections are greatly valued! Next Chapter: Where's Azula? Don't worry. She needed a little rest. You'll be seeing her soon!**


	6. The Road Less Traveled

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes: **The reviews are all so nice. Thank you very much! Here's another one. Hope all of you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **So, the other day I went to eTrade and guess what? They don't have Avatar. Owning it is an impossibility... :b

**Chapter 6**

**The Road Less Traveled**

"Sir! We've just been informed of the visitors who are coming today!" The guard kept his head down to show respect.

The captain gave a curious look and turned around. "And something is special about them, am I right?"

The guard looked up and nodded. "Yes, sir! Apparently, Fire Lord Zuko has decided to take his air balloon and come here! Our scouts have seen so themselves."

The captain closed his eyes in thought and folded his arms. "...I'm guessing he isn't visiting to check up on how neat and tidy we're keeping this place..." he muttered to himself in a low voice.

The guard didn't quite catch it. "Sir?"

The captain shook his head. "Nothing, just stating a thought."

"Of course, captain! ...What are your orders?"

The captain turned back around and stared out the window of the main observation tower. He saw nothing but blue seas ahead of him, but of course he trusted his first officer. He knew what condition the fragile princess was in. She was battered and bruised, and he thought of what the Fire Lord's reaction would be to that. He swallowed hard. "How's the princess? Is she doing all right?"

"She's confined to her cell at the moment. She looks okay...I think."

The captain looked at his first officer with surprise etched on his face. "What? Has she even been to the infirmary?"

The commander looked confused. "Well, nothing seemed broken. Her injuries didn't look serious either..."

"Is that what you were told, or did you actually see her for yourself?"

The guard took a moment to answer. "I trust my men, sir. They told me that she was doing just fine."

The captain placed his index finger and thumb on the bridge of his nose to relax himself. He sighed out loud. "...Look, I saw what they did to her. She may have been an excellent fighter, but I doubt she could have come out of that fight unscathed...I curse myself for even allowing it to happen what with the recent news that was just handed to me." He began walking towards the window. He leaned an arm on it and looked down at what he could see of the prison yard. "Order one of the healers to visit her cell and fix up anything he can, immediately Zhun! I wouldn't know what to expect from the Fire Lord seeing her like that."

The guard nodded. "Right away, sir. But, about the others..."

The captain looked at him. "Oh right, the others. What about them? More prisoners I assume?"

Zhun shook his head. "Our scouts saw yet another balloon approaching this way sir. We're just not sure if they are coming here. The balloon is said to be Fire Nation as well."

"Right! Keep me posted then!"

"Yes captain!" He bowed again and left the room. The captain looked out the window again and saw a small red dot in the distance slowly become bigger and bigger as it came closer. He put his helmet on and fixed his uniform. Once he deemed himself appropriate, he walked outside and headed for the lifts.

* * *

Zuko stopped bending into the metal contraption and looked ahead. He was almost there. He still hadn't known what to say to Azula even after thinking about it the entire trip there. He turned around and decided to practice his introduction.

He held out his hand. "Happy birthday Azula...No, Happy birthday, Azula!" He shook his head. "No, no! Happy birthday! So... burn anyone lately?" He laughed nervously. He screamed, "No! Aw, forget it! Maybe I can turn back now and send her a birthday message with an airhawk..." He rubbed his chin. "Yeah, why not." He turned his head and saw that he was practically only a few miles away from landing. He sighed forcefully.

_Too late now. _He began preparing his balloon for docking. _What am I doing here? Am I crazy? She might try to kill me again. No...Aang made sure that would never happen. _He placed his hand on his chest to feel the scar. _Maybe she's changed...in two weeks? Who am I kidding? She probably hates me. I'm probably the bane of her existence right now._

There was a small patch of ground on a cliff just big enough for a large airship near the lifts. His balloon would only take up a third of that size. He set it down and headed out. _Well, Azula, here I come._

* * *

"Are we almost there yet?"

Mai glared at her effectively silencing her for a few minutes. Ty Lee knew not to get on her bad side when she was under a lot of stress. She knew Mai did not want to see Azula right this instant. However, Ty Lee was too excited to even sit down any more. She kept an eye peeled for any sign of Boiling Rock.

After a few more minutes of deafening silence, Ty Lee sat back down. She noticed Mai was reading the diary. Ty Lee tried getting her attention. "So...Mai...any good findings?"

Mai looked up from the scroll. "No, just some stuff about us getting the uniforms from the Kyoshi warriors." She closed the scroll. "Hey, Ty, remember that?"

Ty Lee grinned after hearing Mai sound less angry then she was before. "Yup! I remember that all too well. Azula looked disgusted when she saw what they wore, but at the time it was our only option!"

Mai thought back. "Yeah. Remember her punny joke too?"

Ty Lee nodded with a smile. She started walking around with her hands behind her back and kept her posture as straight as possible. Supposedly, she was trying to imitate Azula. "Who are you?" She pointed her finger at the air to represent the Kyoshi warriors. "The Avatar's 'fan' girls?" Her voice almost matched Azula's or at least it tried matching hers. Ty Lee couldn't help it anymore. She slapped her leg and broke down laughing.

Mai rolled her eyes and laughed a little. Then she quickly regained her composure and her expression turned back to normal.

"Oh yeah... good times, good times."

"Yeah, for her they were..." Mai responded annoyed. She folded her arms.

_And just like that, the mood turns sour._

"Maaaaiiiii? Why you gotta go make something funny seem so offensive?" One hand rested on her hip.

Mai looked away. "She started it! And besides, you remember _that_ lovely place?" She was pointing to Boiling Rock that was now visible on the horizon.

Ty Lee used her hand to block out the sun glaring her view. She looked out. There it was: Boiling Rock. Home to the princess; their "friend." Ty Lee smiled. "Whew! We're almost there. Excited Mai? I hope you are!"

Mai crossed her legs and closed her eyes. If she wasn't going to enjoy this visit with Azula, maybe she could at least try making it miserable for her. She looked at the island. Thoughts of what had happened there came in rapidly. She tried not to express it on her face.

_Azula, you're lucky to have us as friends, if you even think of us in that way anymore, because I most certainly don't!_

She thought of what they were going to find once they saw her for the first time in two weeks. Reports told Mai she was crazy and wild and didn't respond well to orders. _She's probably sitting in her cell talking to herself about how amazing and wonderful she is. _The image popped in her head, and Mai laughed in her mind. Then she placed a straight jacket on her Azula image. _That's about right._

"Mai, I know you're not going to be comfortable seeing Azula again, but...can you please try to be a little sensitive?" Ty Lee placed her index finger on top of her thumb with a little space in between to represent "a little."

"Ty Lee, I'm already coming as it is." She got up. "I really can't guarantee _anything_." Her mouth twisted into a a deeper frown, if that was even remotely possible.

"Fine." Ty Lee stared at Mai. "Then let me do the talking. All you have to do is say 'happy birthday.' Easy enough?"

Mai wanted to retort "No! I'm not going to tell _her_ that!" but she knew that would be too childish. Instead, she just nodded.

Ty Lee smiled again. "Good." Then she turned to look at Boiling Rock. "Boiling Rock, here we come!" She lifted a hand in glee. Mai rolled her eyes again.

* * *

"Rise and shine princess!" Her vision became normal, and she found herself staring up at a man who was holding open one of her eyes. Horrified, Azula recoiled in fear. That wasn't really smart, since the pain caught up with her. She placed her hand near her heart and tried soothing it.

The man held up his hands in defense. "It's okay. I'm here to help you." He held out a cup of water. "See?" He pointed at it. "This is for you." He smiled at her reassuringly. Azula looked at the water. Her eyes were coveting it. She desperately needed something to quench her thirst. Slowly but cautiously, Azula extended her right arm to reach for it.

"_Weak!" _she heard a voice say.

She ignored it and grabbed the cup gulping down the water greedily while some of it poured out onto the side of her mouth. Her mask was off, she noticed. She drank too quickly though, and stopped to let out a cough that had been seizing her throat. After, she set down the water and wiped her mouth. She felt like a filthy animal wanting to drink the water so badly like that. She leaned her back onto the wall behind her and finally got a good look at who stood before her.

He looked to be around his forties with a barely noticeable receding hair line. He had a strong jaw and a slight goatee going around his mouth. He definitely had handsome features, but Azula didn't let her guard down.

The man bent down near her, and brought up a finger to examine her bruised black eye. Azula slapped it out of her way. "What are you doing?!"

The man looked at her with calm blue eyes. "I'm the healer sent here to help you...It looks like you took quite a beating." He shook his head. "A young lady like you shouldn't be participating in any brawls around here."

She looked at him angrily. Didn't he know who she was? Didn't he know that in front of him sat the princess of the Fire Nation? She rocked her head left and right. _I am royalty no longer. _Her countenance changed into an emotionless one.

"It's okay, you don't have to answer. I've checked you out, and it seems that you have nothing broken, which is a relief." He stood up while still looking at her. "Just a few bumps and bruises. You had a cut on your nose and a few scrape marks on your right arm, but don't worry! I patched you up pretty well."

Azula brought a hand up to feel her nose. She felt the tape but retracted her hand when she felt pain from the pressure.

"You might not want to do that for a while. It was almost broken, but it was just badly bruised. It should heal in about a week." He picked up a roll of gauze from off the floor. He gave her a concerned look. "You know, you're really lucky nothing's seriously injured. I hope I won't have to meet you again."

"Excuse me, but do you know where I might find Azula? I was told she'd be in this cell." That voice sounded oddly familiar. The doctor turned around and for a split second, she thought she saw Fire Nation robes.

_No, it can't be..._

"Fire Lord Zuko!" He bowed in respect. She was able to catch a glimpse of who was looking for her. It was her brother. The Fire Lord himself come to visit _her_. Her eyes were slightly widened. Zuko saw her too. He stared at her trying to remember everything he had memorized to say to her. The healer finally rose from the bow. "It is an honor." He was confused when Zuko gave a surprised look. The Fire Lord then looked up at him with a small annoyed expression. "Um, sorry, but you're kinda in my way..." He pointed to the person behind him. The doctor felt awkward. "Right, I was just leaving anyways...Have a good day, I guess?" The man walked out of the cell and headed back to the infirmary.

Azula's face was stuck in surprise. Her mouth was open, and she stayed silent.

Zuko cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "Azula, I just came to tell you, happy birthday!" He walked up closer and noticed the condition she was really in. His eyes bulged. "Azula! What happened to you? You look awful...Was it another fight?"

_How-How did he know that?_

He saw that she had a black left eye, a bandaged nose, a bandaged right arm, and she looked like she was trying very hard to not show the pain. He observed her much closely. She had bags under her eyes which looks slightly crusted from crying, her hair was still a mess, and she looked incredibly tired.

He now walked closer to her with his hands raised, almost as if he was surrendering. "Are you okay?"

"Why?!" Azula stood up quickly as her chains rattled in the silence.

Zuko stopped and stared at his half-crazed sister weary of any move she made. "What?"

Azula was furious, he could tell. "Are you deaf now Zuko? ...Why are you here? Why have you come to visit a lowly prisoner like me, hmm? Did dad force you? Did you want to rub it in my face about how you finally beat me to the top?" She stood in the same position the entire time with her hands balled into fists. Then she took a step forward near him. Zuko stood his ground and stared down at her.

He tried searching for the right words. He shook his head after a while. "No, no that's not it at all...I..."

"Then why?!" she yelled in his face. "Please, I'm all ears 'Fire Lord Zuko'!" She glared at him, dared him to say even one word out of context.

He looked down at the ground. "It's your birthday, Azula..." He rubbed the back of his neck.

_It's...what?_

Azula stared dumbfounded. Her expression was confusion. She searched her memories. How could she have forgotten? She backed down, and her mouth dropped slightly.

_He came here to visit me...for my birthday? _She remembered now. She remembered all the times her friends would come and celebrate it with her. She remembered the gifts she received from her parents. She remembered Zuko trying to give her hugs. Then she remembered her eighth one: the turtle ducks, Zuko feeding them, her cruelty..._Mom_.

Her expression changed into a sad one Zuko noticed. He saw that she was much calmer now, more relaxed. He decided to take the opportunity to do what he came for. He smiled and extended his arms. "Happy birthday, Azula." Right as he was about to hug her, a claw came out of nowhere and nearly slashed him in the face if he hadn't ducked backward in time. The claw was inches away from his nose. He fell on his back and looked up. The claw, he saw, came from his own sister with her right hand. Her nails still had their characteristic look: long and dangerous. Zuko's eyes opened widely.

He stared at her for a few more seconds, until all of a sudden, two blades pinned her against the wall by the fabric of her shoulders. Zuko turned his head around and saw Mai with her right hand extended forward. Azula was stuck against the wall, and she tried struggling free. Mai saw this and threw two more blades at the clothing of her legs into the wall with deadly precision. Ty Lee came running into the cell a few minutes later panting heavily. "Okay..Mai...what...happened.." she said in between gasps. She was shocked at the sight. First she looked at Zuko on the ground and then Azula on the wall and then back again.

Zuko was the first to speak. "Mai?!" he yelled. "What are you doing here?"

"Saving you from _her_." She glared at Azula who scowled angrily back. "Let..me..go!" She was wriggling her hands everywhere, shaking her legs left and right at the same time. A cold sharp metal pressed against her neck. "Don't even think about it...I'll do it if I have to..." Azula's angry look changed into a patronizing smile. She looked at the person in front of her. "Mai...what a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect you to come visit poor little me. Come to say 'happy birthday' too, have you?" Hardly anything ever changed Mai's expressions, but Azula was the only one that could really get under her skin. Her eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed. "Happy birthday, 'princess'!" She lifted up a hand and was about to punch Azula when a palm blocked it. It was Zuko's, and he was standing by her side.

The Fire Lord shook his head. "No, don't do it, Mai. She's only trying to play with your feelings." His voice was filled with disappointment. He was depressed, and Mai understood why. Mai let down her fist and looked at Zuko with concern. On the side, Azula laughed loudly. "I knew you didn't have the guts to do it...poor little Mai, can't do anything by herself. Always needs a helping hand from dear old ZuZu!"

Mai closed her eyes and calmed herself down. She stared at Azula with emotionless eyes. She bowed her head down. "Happy birthday Azula." Then she turned around and headed for the entrance. Zuko followed while Ty Lee just stood there. They both turned around and called for her. "C'mon Ty Lee. There's nothing to see here..." said Mai. Ty Lee looked at Azula with sympathy in her eyes for the next few more seconds. Then she bowed. "Happy birthday Azula. It was...good to see you again." She turned around with a frown on her face. She reached Mai and Zuko and all three walked away from her cell in silence.

**Sorry, this one's short. Happy reading! Next chapter: The continuation! :b**


	7. The Gift and The Curse

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes: **Another chapter! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I own this story! ...Okay, fine, I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or its characters.

**Chapter 7**

**The Gift and the Curse  
**

"What happened back there?! What was that?!" screamed Zuko pointing his arms behind him at the cell as they were walking.

Mai cleared her throat. "What was what, Zuko?" she responded innocently.

Zuko gave her an angry glare. "You know what I mean! What happened with Azula? ...I had everything under control. I was perfectly fine!"

Mai stopped and turned around to give him one of her glares. "Oh really? Because the way I see it, you were _not_ in control. You were sitting on your butt staring up at someone who looked like they wanted to kill you!"

Zuko stopped right beside her. "So, you threaten her with a knife?!"

Mai arched an eyebrow in curiosity. "What happened with _you_? One minute, you sound all depressed and disappointed and all you looked like you wanted to do was just leave, and now, you're defending her against what _I_ did to help _you_?!"

Zuko took a few steps forward with his eyes closed to try to reorganize his scattered thoughts. "I...I'm regretting what I did now! Happy?"

Mai's eyes opened up in surprise. "What? You're regretting not getting killed by that..._monster_?"

"She is _not_ a monster, Mai! She's just...I don't know, confused, scared!" Zuko turned around. "And she needs our help...I may have been a little upset with her actions, but I should have expected that!" He held his forehead in his right hand.

"She attacked you, Zuko...again! Remember? Remember what happened at that _Agni Kai_?!"

"Yes, I remember, all right?!" He walked up to her, and now they were staring at each other face to face. "But, do _you_ remember what I told you happened at the end?"

Mai turned her head to the side. She took a few seconds to reply. "She only did that so she could be free again...to cause you more pain." Her monotonous voice held its tone.

Ty Lee was behind them standing quietly the entire time holding the scroll. "Umm...guys?"

They didn't hear her. "She _never_ cried before in her life! If she's as cold-hearted as you say, why would she have started then? Huh, Mai? Please, answer that!" He folded his arms. "Well...I'm waiting!"

Mai looked at him in confusion. "Zuko, how can you forgive her for what she did to you...to me!"

"Umm...guys!" Now Ty Lee had tried again with a little more emphasis, but they still didn't notice.

"Oh, so this is all about _you_ now, huh? It doesn't matter what Azula did. It's all about what happened to you, right? Is that it?!"

Mai lifted a finger in protest, but was stopped immediately by a scream. "Quiiiiiiiieeeeeeet!"

They both turned their heads and stared at Ty Lee who was the source of the scream. Now that she got their attention, she decided to take the opportunity to state her mind. "You guys are acting like a bunch of ten-year-olds arguing over a stupid toy!" Ty Lee's eyes narrowed a bit in disappointment. "How can you guys just stand there and argue over what happened in the past, when what we came here to deal with was the _now_!" Now they both felt guilty, so Ty Lee continued. "Azula...isn't exactly the most healthy person in the world right now. All right, fine, we get it. But, Mai, did you see her? Did you _see_ what she looked like? She looked terrible!"

Now that Ty Lee mentioned it, Mai thought back to what Azula looked like. She looked pretty worn out. Then Mai felt an emotion rise from the pit of her stomach. It was an unfamiliar emotion, one that she didn't usually associate with Azula. _Am I feeling...sympathy for her?_ Then she tried thinking about all the horrible things she did to them. _No, Azula's...a murderous tyrant! She's not...a scared little girl..._

"Mai, you see it now don't you?" Ty Lee looked concerned for her. Mai looked away. Ty Lee looked at Zuko. "And, Zuko, Mai was only thinking of your safety. She saw you on the ground! What was she supposed to think?" Zuko stared at the ground away from Ty Lee. "Mai, how could you call her a monster?" She held up the diary. Zuko noticed, and his eyes slightly bulged. He tucked away the two scrolls that were poking out of his robes. He asked nervously, "What's that?"

Ty Lee gave him a small smile. "It's Azula's diary. Mai found it in the library. She didn't tell you?"

Zuko looked at Mai with a blank expression. Mai stared back. "I'm sorry Zuko. Yes, that's Azula's diary. At least, it's a part of it. We think there might be more...Are you...okay Zuko?" Zuko was sweating beads, Mai noticed. _Something's up._ "It's okay, Mai. I'd like to read it some time, if that's okay with you."

"Of course!" Ty Lee nodded. "Okay with you Mai?"

Mai took a while to respond. She nodded slowly. "Sure, why not..."

Then the captain walked up to them "Ah, Fire Lord Zuko, Fire Lady Mai, and Lady Ty Lee, I trust you finished everything you came here for?"

"Yes captain. We're done here. Sorry about the mess back there..." Mai said nonchalantly.

"Mess? What mess?" Just then, a guard came running out of Azula's cell to the captain. "Captain! Sorry to disturb you, but I found one of the prisoners pinned against the wall with blades. We think she might have been attacked...Should we do anything captain?"

All three of them avoided making eye-contact with the captain. He arched an eyebrow. "I see...Well, just take her down, and we'll figure out the rest...hopefully." he said giving them strange looks. "Anyways, I hope everything was prepared to your satisfaction Fire Lord Zuko?"

He nodded. Everything that had happened within the last fifteen minutes flashed through his mind. He turned to look at Mai and Ty Lee. "Let's go."

Mai was the first to move and Zuko followed while Ty Lee filled the back.

* * *

"All right, let's get these things off of her." Azula didn't pay any attention to the guards that were now struggling to rip out the blades stuck on the wall. All she could think about was what had happened. _They all came to say "happy birthday." _She felt regret for what she had said to them. It was a new emotion she barely picked up a few days ago. It felt strange and foreign and Azula didn't like the feeling.

Once she was down, she had slid slowly to the floor with her back leaning against the wall. "Leave, now."

The guards looked at her strangely. One of them opened up his mouth to retort, but the other grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to him. "No! Don't say anything. Let's leave before she turns on the crazy switch!" The guard thought about it and nodded.

"Get out!" She was losing her patience.

They both walked quickly to the entrance and locked the door behind them.

"_He was almost in your grasp. If only that witch hadn't interfered, you would have won that battle."_ The voices were back. She was hearing herself again.

"_Dad favored us over Zuko, and now he's only coming to visit you to get your guard down. Yes, he's the jealous one! He's jealous of us!"_

Strange. She didn't hear any of the other voices. Just the Azula one talking to her.

Azula hugged her knees to her chest. "But then...why did he try hugging me?" she said out loud.

"_I told you! To get your guard down. He's only trying to finish what he started at the Agni Kai!"_

"But his hug seemed genuine. He said, 'happy birthday'."

"_Fool! You are naive. He was only playing nice...Trust me! Trust yourself! Don't trust the ones who turn your back on you after all this time!"_

She thought for a while. "Ty Lee looked like she cared..."

"_Why do you still care for them? Mai and Ty Lee were never your friends to begin with. You used them to capture the Avatar, and they were obedient little tools...for a while. Then Zuko showed up and ruined everything!"_

Her eyes widened. _I used them?_

"_You always knew from the beginning how useful they would be once you recruited them."_

Azula tried covering her ears to stop the voice.

"_I'm in your mind dummy! No one's really talking to you..."_

"Stop."

"_No."_

"Be quiet!"

"_Not until you listen to me!"_

"Shut up!" she yelled loudly. She looked at the ceiling with her hands still on her ears. Her vision became blurry as a wet film covered her eyes. She was crying. She tried blinking back the tears, but her blinking caused two to roll down each cheek. She couldn't help it anymore. She looked down, and the tears came pouring out. She was sobbing.

"_Pull yourself together!"_

Azula started banging her head against the wall. "Go away!" She does it a second time with much more force to cause a headache.

"_I'm you. The only way to get rid of me would be to get rid of you..."_

After a few more tries, Azula finally pulled back her head and threw it at the wall with enough force to cause unconsciousness. Her head met brick, and she blacked out.

* * *

It was night over the Fire Nation. The moon was slowly rising into the dark sky and Mai and Zuko had gone to bed. Ty Lee tried to do the same. She kept on rolling around over and over trying to make herself comfortable, but she couldn't. She even tried fluffing up the pillows, but nothing seemed to work. As an acrobat, she would be able to find any posture comfortable, but not this time.

She sighed and got up into a sitting position. She kept on replaying what happened earlier on. She buried her head in her hands to rub her eyes. _I can't sleep!_ She frowned deeply. Azula was getting to her. Images of what she looked like, a complete mess, kept on posting themselves on her mind.

_That's it! I can't take it anymore!_

She had wanted to have a normal conversation with Azula in the first place and that ended up well. Immediately, after leaving Boiling Rock, the three took the balloons back to the Fire Nation. They headed back to the palace and decided to call it a day. Mai and Zuko had graciously asked Ty Lee to stay for a while, and she accepted. Only, now, she wasn't able close her eyes long enough to not think about Azula. She thought about what she was going to do to clear her conscience.

_Well, Mai seemed as scorned as ever and Zuko looked like he wanted to talk to her some more, but I don't think he'd want to deal with that right now._

She rested her chin on her hand.

_This thing is definitely bothering me! _It replayed in her mind again.

_What a great reunion that was._

Then an idea popped into her head. _But that would be too risky..._

She got up and looked outside the window which overlooked the garden. It looked to have a few guards patrolling the area. Two of them were busy talking to each other while the other continued to make his rounds.

_I don't think I'd need to worry about them. I'll just have to come up with an excuse that will allow me to not look suspicious._

With her mind set, she thought back to Boiling Rock. _Well, here I go._

She tiptoed outside of her room and headed to the place where the balloons were kept. A set of doors was blocking the entrance, and she noticed a single guard posted there. She walked up to him with a small smile. He looked up from his daze, surprised. "...Uh, yes miss? What can I do for you? If you're lost, I can direct you back to where you need to go..."

Ty Lee dismissed the question with a wave her hand. "No, I'm not lost...Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow one of the balloons..."

The guard questioned her motives. "Hmm? Why?"

Ty Lee gave him the most innocent of innocent looks. "I was going to just head back to Kyoshi Island..."

The guard understood immediately. "Yes, of course Lady Ty Lee."

"...And...you know...make a side stop at...oh, say, Boiling Rock?"

Now the guard was curious. "I know it's none of my business, but, what of Fire Lady Mai and Fire Lord Zuko?"

Not Ty Lee had to put on her best acting face. "Well, I kind of already asked them, and they said I could go..."

The guard shook his head. "I'm sorry, miss, but without written permission or them physically being here, I can't allow you to leave."

Ty Lee definitely had an obstacle ahead of her, so she thought quickly. "Okay...You can go wake them up in the middle of the night to check if I asked while I wait here until you get back!" She smiled. "Oh, word of advice, the Fire Lady _hates_ being woken up in the middle of her sleeping."

His eyes opened widely. He shook his head. "No, wait, of course I believe you. As long as you got their permission, it's okay." He opened the door and headed inside with Ty Lee behind him. He called one of the other guards over. "Look, Lady Ty Lee here would like to be escorted to Boiling Rock right away, so if you could do the honors..."

The other man nodded. "Yes, sir. Right away!"

"Well, there you go! Have a safe trip, miss. I shall inform Fire Lady Mai and Fire Lord Zuko of your departure in the morning."

Ty Lee panicked. "No! No, it's okay! I was gonna come back anyways..."

"Right, well, should you not be here by morning, I will have to tell them. Sorry, rules are rules...You understand I'm sure." He smiled.

She smiled nervously back. "Of course. Like I said, I'll be back before then, so you won't have anything to worry about!"

He bowed and headed back to guard the entrance. Ty Lee entered the balloon and signaled for her escort to start lifting them up. He complied and soon enough, they were out in the middle of the ocean heading for Boiling Rock.

* * *

An hour and a half had passed, and Ty Lee found herself in the same position she was earlier: bored. She eagerly awaited arrival to Boiling Rock, but it was just a small dot on the horizon a few minutes ago. She looked at the moon. If she didn't get there in time, Mai would definitely scold her for being stupid enough to go back to see Azula.

"Excuse me," said the man who was operating the balloon, "But, we're almost there, milady."

Ty Lee nodded. _Finally. A lot shorter than from Kyoshi Island. _She stood up to see that the island was bigger than before. She sighed a sigh of relief. Now the hard part was about to begin.

* * *

"Get a medic in here, quick!"

She heard a few more footsteps.

"What happened?"

"Captain, one of the guards came in here to give her food, and they found her lying like this."

"Was it one of the guards?"

"No captain. A guard kept watch on her all day. He said that no one came in or out the entire time he kept his post. He said he heard a loud thump, but he ignored it and continued guarding."

Then she heard more footsteps. "Glutton for punishment, huh?"

"Can you fix her?"

She felt a hand grab her head. She felt no pain for some reason. "I can, but she'll need to be taken to the infirmary."

She felt two arms grab her and pick her up. Her head was leaning against something. She slowly opened her eyes a little to see a blurry face in front of her. She couldn't tell who it was. "Well, hurry up man! I saw another Fire Nation balloon docking just now. I'm not sure what they could want in the middle of the night." Everything around her looked fuzzy. _Fire...balloon?_ "I'll have to greet them again. It'll buy you some time." Then Azula succumbed to the darkness again.

* * *

"Ah, Lady Ty Lee!" She smiled a little. "You are back again? ...This time, by yourself?"

She nodded. "Yes captain! Um, I just wanted to talk to Azula, that's all. Today didn't go so well as you probably saw..."

The captain thought back. "Yes, I did. It was most unfortunate...Well, she's a little busy now, so you might want to come back a little later on."

Ty Lee raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What could a prisoner be doing besides sleeping in the middle of the night?"

The captain tried coming up with an excuse. He leaned in closer and kept his voice low. "Well...Let's just say, she's not 'right in the head' at this precise moment..."

"Well, crazy or not, I didn't come all this way just to leave without seeing her."

She continued to walk past him. "It's this way, right?"

The captain began to worry. "I can't let you see her. It's for your own protection..."

"Is she really that dangerous?" Then a guard came up to him, panting. "Sir, it was just a mild concussion. Nothing to worry about!" Then he turned to look at Ty Lee, and he covered his mouth in shock.

The captain slapped his forehead. Ty Lee now was definitely curious. "...Is something wrong with Azula?"

"What? No! Of course not! C'mon!" He put on a fake smile. "He's just talking about some other prisoner." He forcefully turned her around in the direction of the balloon. "Now, c'mon. It's late, and I think you should be heading back home..."

Ty Lee became annoyed. "Where is she?" She looked at him with anger written all over her face. "If I have to, I'll get the Fire Lord here to suspend you from your duty as a captain..."

The captain swallowed hard. "Look, the princess...isn't feeling so well right now, okay? My men found her lying on the ground unconscious. We found blood on the wall, and I assure you, they didn't do it." He held his hands up in defense when he saw Ty Lee even more furious at him for lying to her.

"Where is she captain?"

The captain gave up. "In our...dispensary. Our healer is trying to fix her up." Ty Lee started heading for the infirmary, then all of a sudden, she stopped.

"Is something wrong?"

Ty Lee turned around in embarrassment. "Where is it again?" she asked feeling stupid for not knowing where the infirmary was.

The captain rolled his eyes. "I'll take you there myself." So they both headed for the infirmary with a few guards following close by.

**Thanks for reading and reviewing all! :) You know, I've been leaving subtle hints about the diaries. I hope you guys have figured out who the mysterious man was in chapter 4! XD If not, then you'll have to wait till next chapter. Next chapter: What is Azula doing to herself? Is she finally cracking? Find out next time! :b**


	8. When Hope Arises

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes:**Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Hope you enjoy this next one. This chapter is kinda...eh...You know, "eh." Hope you guys know what that means! :b It's just not as "profound" I guess you would say as the last one, so I decided to get this out of the way as quickly as possible. It's funny though! :) Oh well! Bear with me!

**(Recently changed to fix the tense of this chapter - Thanks goes to Caladbolg777 for spotting the mistake)**

**Disclaimer: **(See chapters 1-7)

**Chapter 8**

**When Hope Arises**

Mai walked down the long corridor and turned right. She continued to head straight until she reached the very last door. She took hold of the doorknob and turned it. She entered the room. Inside, she could barely see anything. It was still dark outside, and the moon was about to settle in behind the mountains to give rise to the sun. She could almost make out the bed in front of her. She saw a huge bump in the middle of the sheets and assumed that Ty Lee was the occupant. She observed it and closed the door behind her quietly. She walked up closer to the bed near the window.

"Ty Lee, I need to talk to you..." She didn't get a response. "It's okay, you don't have to answer. I'll just tell you what I need to say."

She turned to face the window to look out onto the garden. "It's about what happened earlier, about Azula..." She still didn't get a reaction. "I know, you probably want to see her again, don't you?" Mai closed her eyes to focus on her train of thought. "Ty Lee...I don't think it's such a good idea to see her again, at least not for a while." She turned to look at the bed. "I've been doing some thinking lately. She's not safe. I never wanted to go see her in the first place because I had a bad feeling about all of this..."

She sat on the edge of the bed. "I can give you five good reasons why we shouldn't. One, she's crazy. Two, she nearly slashed Zuko in the face. Three, she might kill _us_ if we go back there. Four, she's crazy. And five, we're not her friends anymore." Mai turned her head to look at the bump. "Ty Lee, I'm sorry, but for our _own_ safety, she'll have to spend the rest of her life by herself..." Mai still didn't see any response that Ty Lee was awake. "Um, Ty Lee, you even listening?" She shook the bump and noticed that the texture felt different. Mai arched an eyebrow. "Ty Lee?" She pulled back the sheets and uncovered three pillows stacked in a straight line that formed the bump. "What the-?" She stopped and guessed where she could've been. Her bored expression changed into an angry look. _Ty Lee, Why?!_

She immediately headed outside of the room to look for where the balloons were kept. While she ran, she thought of why Ty Lee would even think of doing such a thing. _Ty Lee, you left without even asking. How could you do something so stupid? _She shook her head. _No, maybe she's still here, and I'm just being panicky for no apparent reason. _Then she thought back to the pillows. _But then, why in the world would those pillows be like that if she went for a little walk around the palace? _She saw the entrance ahead of her. _Only one way to find out..._

She stopped, fixed her clothing, and walked up to the guard. He bowed in respect. "Ah, Fire Lady Mai. What brings you to the garage?"

"I was just wondering, did Ty Lee happen to come here to ask for transportation to Boiling Rock?"

The guard looked nervous. "I wasn't going to tell you until morning, but, yes. She said she would be back here before sunrise." He gave her a concerned look. "Is everything all right milady?"

Mai's face looked annoyed and worried at the same time. "Before sunrise, huh?"

"Yes ma'am."

There was only one thing she could do. "As soon as you see that balloon anywhere in the sky, please inform me." She turned and walked away. "I'll be in the garden."

"Of course milady."

* * *

"This way." The captain and Ty Lee turned into a hallway with a door at the end that was slightly ajar. Bright white light shined through the outer rim. Compared to the dark prison itself, it looked pretty well-lit. "It's right down this corridor through the door all the way at the end." Ty Lee nodded and began to walk to it. The captain suddenly grabbed her by her right arm. "Wait! I've been thinking, and my thoughts were that she did this to herself. If this is true, she might not be the most healthy person you'd like to be around at this time..."

Ty Lee looked at him with a caring expression. "If it is true, then she'll need our help now more than ever." The guard nodded slowly and let go. Ty Lee continued to walk to the infirmary.

She walked inside and covered her eyes from the brightness. Her eyes finally adjusted. Inside were several beds on both sides. There were several sharp instruments which were probably used to conduct surgery with stacked neatly on a table to the side. She looked around and on the left side near one of the beds a doctor was standing. His back was facing her. He looked busy moving his arms everywhere. He looked to be applying a roll of gauze on someone as well. The healer moved to the side and Ty Lee saw Azula with her eyes closed sitting up. She looked asleep. One hand from the doctor was placed on her back to help support her up while his other hand was trying to roll the gauze around her head. She saw he was having a hard time, so Ty Lee ran over to him.

"Need help?" she asked with a smile.

The doctor didn't look up to see who talked to him. "Hold onto her while I try bandaging the cut."

Ty Lee held onto her arms, and the doctor was able to roll the bandages around her head much faster. He finished it off with a knot. He wiped his forehead. "Whew! Okay, you can put her down." Ty Lee leaned her against the pillow of her bed. He turned to look at the person who helped him. "Thanks miss. Having the night shift can get quite hard sometimes, especially because you're by yourself..."

"No problem. Actually, I came to see her anyways."

The doctor nodded. "Right. Well, as you can see, she's in pretty rough shape. I don't think she'll be able to talk right now."

_So, I came here for nothing then... _"Um, I was just curious but, how did she get...everything else?"

"You mean the eye and the 'nose job'?"

Ty Lee nodded her head.

The doctor crossed his arms. "Well, I'm not sure exactly, but the guy before me did mention something about fights. Said something about being too pompous about herself..."

Ty Lee's face was emotionless. He laughed a little. "Maybe she forgot to ditch the princess attitude before she came in here..." Ty Lee looked at her friend. She looked like a wreck. Two weeks in prison didn't seem to help improve her mental capacity. In fact, it looked like it made it worse. Ty Lee thought back to the time when she was locked up there with Mai. _Azula doesn't look like she can handle much more prison life. When me and Mai were here, we did everything we were told just so we wouldn't get on anyone's bad side. Sure, there were times when Mai protested, but that was usually through words; nothing beyond action. The way I picture it, Azula thought she could handle it all by being what she usually was: high-and-mighty. The outcome was this._

Ty Lee's face turned sad. She thought back to what happened near the lifts when she sent them to be imprisoned. _No, I forgive her...Don't I? _She turned away. _What led me here to see her? Did I really think she needed our help? _She looked back. _Or did I want to see her fall for what she did to Mai and me? _She shook her head vigorously. _No, she's suffered enough already. The only ones she has left is us, and right now, she needs us more then ever._

She read her aura. A frown platered itself on her face. _She's depressed and...confused._

"Wow, I didn't realize what time it was! You know, you're early for a visitor. Hardly anyone ever visits this hour, much less do they visit the infirmary! You're a pretty nice friend..."

Ty Lee's eyes opened up in shock. "Is...it morning or something?"

The healer looked out the window. "Well, it looks orange on the horizon, so it's gotta be at least sunrise."

She panicked and ran for the entrance, then she stopped and turned around. She looked back at Azula for the last time and turned to thank the doctor.

"And thank you, for helping me with my patient."

She smiled at him and then left the infirmary to run back to her balloon.

* * *

"Excuse me, Fire Lady Mai?"

She turned around to look at the guard that had her. "I get it." She lifted a hand up. After, she got up and headed to the garage.

* * *

Ty Lee was worried the entire trip back. The sun was steadily rising, and she was worried the guard had already slipped to Mai that she left with one of the balloons. That was what occupied half of her mind. The other half was filled with thoughts about Azula. _I need to focus now. Focus on solving the problem I have now, and then figure out a solution for the other some other time. _She thanked her escort and ran out of the balloon. She opened the door that was the entrance and looked around. She gave a small sigh of relief. She immediately switched gears and sprinted to her room. She saw a few guards and ducked by a wall to remain out of sight. She checked to make sure the coast was clear and continued to make her way back. However, she didn't notice that someone was walking up behind her to catch her off guard. Ty Lee felt a finger poke her shoulder. She jumped up and yelped a bit, then turned around. Standing right in front of her was the exact person she tried avoiding the entire time: Mai. Her expression looked plain, so Ty Lee relaxed a little. _Maybe she doesn't know yet?_

Ty Lee waved and gave her a nervous smile. "Hi Mai! ...So, how are ya?" She mentally slapped herself for asking such a dumb question.

Mai arched an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm doing great Ty Lee. Just peachy. You?"

Ty Lee put on the hugest most fake smile in the world. "Me too! Well, good night!" She turned around to head for her temporary room.

"Don't you mean 'good _morning_?'" Ty Lee froze. She stiffened up a bit. "You look a little tired Ty Lee. Exercising?"

"...Uh, yeah! That's it! Wanna get in a good start of that training that Suki keeps on making us do. You know, all those fan stuff..."

"I see. Does she usually make you guys practice that 'fan stuff' without a fan?"

_I'm doomed!_

"Well, I forgot mine, so uhhh, I... adjusted it?"

Mai's face turned annoyed. "Nice try Ty Lee! The guard told me where you went. Oh and by the way, you stink at lying!" She pointed an angry finger at Ty Lee.

Ty Lee was caught, and she knew it. "All right! Fine! I went to Boiling Rock with one of your balloons without your permission..."

Mai shook her head in disappointment. She sighed. "Ty Lee, why? What made you go back there after what _she_ did to us earlier? Are you crazy?"

Ty Lee's thoughts were brought back to what Azula looked like. "If by crazy you mean trying to help one of my friends out from insanity, then yes! Call me Ty 'Crazy' Lee!"

Mai stared at her. "I knew it! You still feel bad for her! Why?"

"Mai, if you were in a jam, I'd help you out because you're my friend."

"And you think she needs your help right now?"

Ty Lee shook her head. "Mai, you didn't see what I saw when I went back there." She started pacing back and forth. "Sure you may have seen a part of it, but...not everything..."

Mai walked up in front of her. "I'll tell you what _I _saw: I saw a homicidal maniac who still feels like she should be queen of the entire world!"

Ty Lee looked at her in pity. "That's it? That's all you saw?" She shook her head again. "No, there's more to it than that! Regardless of what she may have done in the past, she's a human being too! She has feelings!"

"Do human beings threaten their friends? Do human beings imprison them for not complying with what they wanted?"

Ty Lee stopped her pacing and stood still staring at the ground. "But now, she's paying for it all back. Like I said before, we left her, she's locked up in prison getting massacred, Zuko had no other choice but to take the throne away from her, she was used by the previous Fire Lord...The list goes on and on. Would you like for me to continue?"

Mai held her hands up in the air to stop her. "Wait, 'getting massacred?' Is it because she lost all of her princess abilities?" she asked mockingly.

Ty Lee gave her a hard look. "No. She looked beat up, you saw! It's because of all the fights she's been getting herself into..."

Mai scoffed. "Fights she probably started herself!"

"That's just an assumption Mai. Not only that, but I think that self-mutilation might be on the top of her problem's list..."

Mai's eyes widened. "She tried committing suicide?"

"I'm not sure. When I went there, the captain told me that they found her lying unconscious on the floor with blood on the wall and on her head. He told me none of the guards were responsible...She's confused Mai, and she needs our help!"

Mai stayed silent for a while thinking. "She's insane. She _doesn't_ need our help. We were never her friends to begin with! She used _us_!"

"You can't really mean that. I think her connection to us was what kept her stable the entire time, and when we left, it all went downhill from there. I think in some small way, we did become her friends."

"Why do you care Ty Lee? It's not our problem; it's hers."

"If you were in her position, could you really do it all by yourself?" Ty Lee looked at Mai with pleading eyes.

Mai just stared at Ty Lee trying to come up with answer when all of a sudden they were interrupted by a bright orange light coming through the window. She looked outside at the sun that caused it. Ty Lee yawned and covered her mouth. "I'll see you a little later on Mai. I need to get some rest." So Ty Lee continued to head for her room. She closed the door behind her leaving Mai by herself staring out the window in thought.

* * *

A yawn escaped his mouth as he scratched his head and stared dully at the sunrise. Today, Zuko had a meeting to go to with the Earth King in order to review the economic status of the two nations and what needed to be done to fix it. The Fire Nation was slowly becoming bankrupt as a result of Zuko's proposal to pay back what they had damaged. Their debt was slowly climbing through the roof as well as was inflation. Everything seemed to cost more nowadays. This once wealthy and powerful nation was becoming a poor one, but Zuko thought it was a step toward the right direction in order to establish healthy connections with the rest of the world. _Healthy connections...I can't even seem to find that with __my family. _He thought that if he had lived a normal life, if he had a normal father and a normal sister and his mother was still there, he would have probably led a much less stressful life. He always came to the balcony to calm his mind. What happened yesterday would definitely affect his state of mind today if he didn't focus. He wished that things could have gone better between him and Azula in that cell, but what had happened then couldn't be changed now.

"Hey...Are you okay?"

Zuko turned around startled. "Mai, I'm fine. I was just staring out at the sunrise. Would you like to join me?"

She nodded her head. "Sure." She walked up close to his side. "Listen, I'm sorry for yelling at you yesterday." She felt awkward. "I had no right to say those things to you."

Zuko stared at her questioningly. "Mai, _I'm _sorry for yelling at you like that. I...just needed something to blame and you were right in front of me." He smiled at her. "I took it out on you, and that wasn't fair."

"Yup, that's me Zuko, your stress person." She smiled back.

They both laughed a little. He thought back to what had happened at Boiling Rock. Then he turned to face Mai. "Mai, I haven't been completely honest with you. You remember that diary you found, right?"

Mai looked skeptical. "Yes, did you still want to borrow it?"

"See that's the thing. I...kinda already read it..." He waited for a response.

"Mm-hmm, continue." was all he got back.

"I found that diary outside in the garden when I went to feed the turtle ducks one day. It was hidden in a bush stuck between a couple branches. When I saw who it belonged to, I was surprised to even discover that she kept things like that."

"So, you _were_ hiding something."

Zuko slightly gasped. "You knew all along?"

She nodded. "I just didn't know that what the librarian told me was true..."

Zuko calmed himself. "Librarian? Oh, you mean Lynn. Yes, she came into my room in the library one time and found it on the floor. Apparently, I accidentally dropped it, and she picked it up to give it back to me. However, she just happened to glance at what was written inside."

He stopped to gather his thoughts. Then he continued. "She decided to help me on my case."

Mai looked at him curiously. "Case?"

Zuko nodded his head. "My case to help...Azula. I asked for Lynn's help. You see, I thought that if I could get into Azula's mind, see what she's thinking, maybe I could help her be at peace with herself."

"And so, you finally go to see her, only it didn't turn out the way you expected..."

He sighed. "Yes. And I didn't want you getting involved. I thought I could handle it by myself...Plus, I knew how you felt about her..."

Mai recalled a few things Ty Lee said to her earlier. "I'm just...unsure on the subject."

"You were right, Mai. There were more scrolls. I found them in Azula's room under her bed."

Mai and Ty Lee's assumptions were right. "You have them?"

Zuko walked back into his room, opened a drawer, and took out two closed scrolls. He held them out for Mai to take. "She deserves another chance. I believe she can be saved...I know, I didn't want you getting involved, but now I do. You used to be her friend. You might understand her better."

She stared at the scrolls. _"We were never her friends to begin with!"_ something she said to Ty Lee, played in her mind. She shook her head and grabbed the scrolls. "I'll help you Zuko."

He smiled. "Thanks Mai..." He placed an arm around her, and they both watched as the sun rose into the sky.

**Whew! Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated! Next chapter: Mai reads the diaries, and Azula wakes up.**


	9. Lockdown

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes:** There's enough diary to go around! This is for all the those chapters that didn't have enough diary in them! Enjoy! Oh, and heads up. The ending to this chapter is really depressing. :(**  
**

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill: I don't own anything.

**Chapter 9**

**Lockdown**

_**Entry #15**_

_After securing the uniforms and sending away those girls who weren't even fit to be called "warriors" to be imprisoned, I, Mai, and Ty Lee tried coming up with a plan. Before this whole chase-the-avatar thing started, we had no clue who these Kyoshi warriors, oops sorry, "little girls with fans" were. Apparently, the Earth King had asked to form an alliance with them. So now, we were to travel to Ba Sing Se ourselves dressed as them to not make anyone suspicious. Soon, the Avatar shall be mine, but before I bring him down myself, this little inconvenience shall have to be taken care of._

_**Entry #16**_

_It's only a few hours before we reach the grand city of Ba Sing Se. As I look at it now, I see the reason why our troops haven't been able to break into the kingdom. When we tried the drill tactic a few days earlier, we were attacking from the outside where their defenses were strong. Our drill barely got in a few meters into the wall. It made a sizeable dent, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. The Avatar and his followers were there to meet our attack. That coupled along with the earthbenders at the top of the wall throwing down huge boulders on us made it even more difficult. They took the drill down from the inside._

_I've been analyzing it over and over again in my head. They took it down from the "inside." I inspected the damage done to our drill, and it seems that the support beams were cut in half. That's all it took. How could something so insignificant cause a considerable amount of damage to a weapon that was ostensibly impenetrable? Now I realize it. Those beams were the keys to the entire structure holding it all up. Without their support, that whole thing could have come crumbling down. For something to be fortified well, everything that keeps it running must have a healthy foundation._

_Throughout our entire Fire Nation history, ever since the rise of the Earth Kingdom and its wall, we've tried to conquer it through sheer brute force. My uncle tried, and he failed. With these disguises, it's possible to find a weakness on the inside that will make Ba Sing Se vulnerable. I only hope I will be able to descry it._

_**Entry #17**_

_What a fool that Earth King was! His pet bear whom he calls "Bosco" made him seem pathetic. He is not a strong leader, and that's exactly what Ba Sing Se needed. However, my suspicions were correct._

_He informed us of how the Dai Li and its leader Long Feng had tried dethroning him. Now, he's wary of their moves and doesn't trust any of them. I'm just shocked that he hasn't handed them the throne because of his gullibility. He plans on disbanding the Dai Li within a few days. Before that time runs out, I have a little plan I would like to throw in play. The Dai Li, I found, is the support structure to the Earth King's rule. They are the ones protecting him from any harmful attacks. In a sense, I'll be cutting this beam in half myself. I shall gain control over them and put Long Feng in his place. He wants the throne himself, but I know he won't be getting it any time soon. _

_The pieces are set, the game is on, and I shall come out the victor._

_**Entry #18**_

_We captured the Water Tribe peasant who had been traveling alongside the Avatar all this time. It looked like these disguises can fool more than just the Earth King. She came running up to me calling me "Suki" whom I assumed was the leader of this "fan" club. Apparently she saw my brother and uncle in this city! Perfect! An unusual coincidence, but it's a coincidence I'm thankful for. We threw her into the crystal chamber and planned out our next move. Poor ZuZu. Doesn't have a clue that his dear sister is right on his tracks._

_**Entry #19**_

_It took Long Feng long enough. In the middle of the night, I was dragged away from my slumber by a few Dai Li agents. I was taken to Long Feng himself, and he explained to me how he "discovered" that I was truly Princess Azula in disguise. It looked like Mai and Ty Lee played off their little performance with expertise, because, the next thing I knew, he told me that he could get me the Avatar in exchange for the Earth King's throne._

_He thinks he can control me? Not likely, but I'll have to play along in order for my plan to go off without a hitch._

_**Entry #20**_

_All three of us, me, Mai, and Ty Lee, had a little chat with the Dai Li agents this morning. I explained to them how Long Feng had given me rule over them. I even made one of them almost pee in his pants. Oh, it was terrific! _

_Now that I have them eating out of the palm of my hands, my pawns are exactly placed where I want them to be. Nothing can stop it from succeeding. Ba Sing Se will fall to none other than me._

* * *

It was the middle of the day, and the healer from the night shift had been replaced with another. It was the same man who had helped Azula in her cell the first time, and for at least an hour and half now, he had been watching over her and was told to inform the captain of when she awoke. A guard stood by the door just for the occasion.

He got bored as the minutes passed by. Every now and then, he'd take a glance to see if the guard was still standing there, and every time, he was. This just made the doctor feel like he was being watched. He had nothing better to do, so he decided to have a small conversation with him.

"So...What's your name?"

Silence. He heard nothing else but his own breathing.

"That's great! Mine's Van..."

He still didn't get a response. He looked at the guard, and the guard just stared back at him.

"You, uhhh new or something?"

The guard flitted up his eyebrows but kept silent. "What? Something I said?"

Then a loud "thump" was heard across the room. The healer looked behind him and saw the princess on the floor near the bed. "And the fun just never stops!" He ran over to help her up. He bent down to her level. "Here, let me help you up..." He tried grabbing her arms while she was still on her hands and knees.

Suddenly, she slapped them away. "I...don't...need...your help!" With one hand on her bandaged head and the other on the floor, she tried pushing herself up.

The doctors considered the situation in front of him. "Okay. Call me when you need me!" He smiled at her and sat down on a nearby chair. Azula ignored him and continued attempting to stand up. She got to a standing position slowly. Her vision was shaky, and she tried ignoring her throbbing head. She hadn't notice the bandage before, but she felt her head again and gasped.

She turned to look at him in anger. "What...did you _do _to me?!"

The doctor folded his arms. "Take it easy. I did nothing to you. The doctor before me did."

"What happened?!" She gasped for air to try to take her mind off of the pain.

"You hurt yourself by banging your head against the wall." He pointed a finger to his own head to represent where. "I'm sorry, but, you might have a temporary scar from the stitches he put in you..."

Her eyes became big. "Stitches?!" She sounded disgusted. She placed her left hand to feel where the pain was coming from.

"Yup, right there!" He smiled at her.

Azula took that as a condescending smile and stomped towards him. However, the room was too shaky for her, and she dropped to her face. The man immediately stood up and ran over to where she landed. "You shouldn't even be standing much less walking right now." He picked her up, ignored the death glare she gave him, and placed her back on her bed. "Wait here. I'll bring you some herbal tea. It'll help speed up your recovery."

"I...don't understand...I..." She thought hard and everything that had happened yesterday rushed back into her mind. She stayed silent. He handed her a cup. "Here you go."

She looked up at him confused. Then her expression became annoyed as she grabbed the cup and set it down forcefully on the table to her right side. "Okay then. Have it your way."

"So, she finally awakens..."

Both Azula and the healer turned their heads to look at the speaker. The captain stood right at the entrance. The whole entire time, the healer didn't even notice that the guard had slipped out and informed the captain that she had awaken.

"I see she's doing much more better today."

The doctor responded. "Yes, captain. As you can see, she's awake now."

He walked closely to them. "Do it," he commanded. Azula looked confused as did the doctor. Then, out of nowhere, a guard came bearing cuffs from his belt. He stood before her. "For your own protection, you will be restrained and sent to a different cell." The guard with the cuffs looked down at her. "Is that clear?"

Azula went wide-eyed. She thought about escaping, but there was nowhere to run. She thought about fighting for her freedom, but she was too weak. She had no other choice but to admit defeat, something that would leave a bitter aftertaste in her mouth. The voices were gone from her head now, but for how long?

She held out her arms and closed her eyes. She felt the weight on her wrists and opened them. These were tighter than normal. It allowed no free movement whatsoever. It kept her hands close together. Then another pair was placed on her ankles. This one seemed a lot looser to allow her to walk. The guard finally pulled out a mask and began to aim it at her mouth. She panicked. The muzzle was the most inhumane item of restraint, she thought. She did not want to be treated like an animal. She turned her head away.

"Now now, don't make us use force," stated the captain. "You almost cost me my job yesterday. I won't let that happen again. Although, if you keep this up, I just might _want _to quit." He smiled.

She still refused to show them her mouth. The guard looked at the captain, and the captain nodded back. The guard grabbed her head and started to turn it towards him. "You left me no choice."

With a great degree of difficulty, he finally turned her head and quickly placed the mask on her face. Azula felt pain from her head after he let go. She closed her eyes tightly, and a tear came out to reciprocate.

The doctor had wanted to say something the entire time, but kept his mouth shut. He finally gathered enough courage to state his mind. "Captain, look, she's not fully recovered yet. Can't she wait a few days before you put her back in her cell?"

The captain stared at him, face expressionless. "Doctor, unless you'd like to have another 'incident' with this one, it's best that we prevent her _now_ from harming either herself _or _us."

The doctor tried coming up with an answer quickly. The captain noticed this and spoke again before he had a chance to respond. "She just needs plenty of rest, right? Don't worry! That's all that she'll be doing where we're taking her." Then the captain turned to the guard. "Okay, let's move her out of here." The guard nodded and pulled Azula up from off the bed. Everything seemed a little shaky to her still, and she shut her eyes in response. When she opened them again, the entire room was still moving in her vision. She wobbled a little, but she sucked it up and followed the captain to her new "home" with the guard right behind her.

* * *

_**Entry #21**_

_We've pinpointed both my brother and uncle's location to a small tea shop right in the center of the city. Today, I get revenge on both of them for what they did to me back on that ship. They won't know what hit them._

_**Entry #22**_

_Poor Zuko, so naive and overly-dramatic. He was sent to the crystal catacombs along with that waterbender. I really couldn't have done it without the help of the Dai Li...Okay, well, maybe I could have, but it was just so entertaining to watch as they bound Zuko to the floor like that. Unfortunately, Uncle Iroh escaped and has ran off to who knows where. Well, at least I captured one of them._

_Now that Zuko's out the of the way, I'll only need to be worrying about Uncle. I know he'll be coming back for him. He's not a coward. He'll do anything to get back his only nephew who's like a son to him. It'll only be a matter of time._

_**Entry #23**_

_Could this day get any better? It's like an early birthday for me!_

_More of the Avatar's lackeys tried warning the Earth King of the "coup" earlier today. Mai and Ty Lee quickly disposed of them, and they were sent to the holding cells. After seeing them leave, Long Feng had the nerve to "betray" me. Of course, I knew that he was planning this the entire time. It was too bad. He could have made an excellent servant. He ordered the Dai Li to arrest me. When they did not cooperate, he looked flabbergasted. Remembering the look on his face makes me smile from time to time. Well, what did he expect? I am _the _princess of the Fire Nation. Did he honestly think that he could catch me off guard with my own Dai Li agents? In the end, one of us was going to be bowing to the other, and I assured him that I would not be doing the bowing. Afraid for his life, Long Feng got on his hands and knees and lowered his head._

_When he commented on how he had lost at his own game, I laughed at his face. He was never a player to begin with._

_**Entry #24**_

_Just as I expected, Uncle came to save Zuko..._

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

"_**...You can gain your honor back Zuko. You'll have everything you've ever wanted..." Azula continued to stare at him.**_

_**Iroh interrupted his thinking. "Look inside your heart Zuko, and see what you really want!"**_

_**Zuko looked torn between the two options that were placed in front of him. He stared contemplatively at the floor.**_

"_**You're free to choose." With that, Azula followed Aang and Katara through the wall that they just recently made with Iroh to try to save Zuko.**_

_**She spotted the Avatar and the waterbending peasant and immediately shot out a bolt of lightning at the Avatar. He blocked by earthbending a shield. The three continued to exchange attack for attack. Azula threw fireballs at them, but together they had waterbended a wall between them that disintegrated the flames. Azula stared at them nervously with two fingers from each hand pointed at each opponent, ready to shoot lightning at the first sign of movement. It was two against one, but Azula usually went up against those odds. This time however, her opponent was the Avatar, and she did not want to let him escape again.**_

_**Out of nowhere, a wall of orange flame came between her and the Avatar. Azula looked up. It was her brother. She was worried that she had to face a third opponent. She stared at him judgmental. Zuko attacked the Avatar with more fire, and Azula smiled. Today was the day that would be recorded in history as the greatest day in Fire Nation history because of her many accomplishments. **_

_**She turned and focused all of her attention on Katara. She threw a few more balls of blue flame at her, but she defended herself with her waterbending.**_

_**Meanwhile, Zuko did the same thing. He attacked Aang ruthlessly as Aang tried desperately to catch his breath.**_

_**The brother and sister duo continue to fight for a couple more minutes. Zuko blasted Aang into a crater and decided to help Azula. She needed help desperately, because Katara, using her waterbending, had entrapped Azula's leg and arm and threw her into the air. Zuko cut her free and attacked Katara. Azula headed for the Avatar to fight him.**_

_**The exchanging seemed endless. Azula had wanted to end this once and for all. She noticed he enclosed himself in a tent made up of the crystal from the cave itself. She smiled. He was entering the Avatar state where he would be at his most powerful. Azula took advantage of the opportunity and ran behind ready to strike at any moment. Aang levitated into the air with his forehead arrow glowing brightly. Dai Li agents entered the battle, and they were knocked away with powerful waves of water and thrusts of ground from underneath. Azula looked up. She waved her arms in circles, punched her fists together, and pointed two fingers at the Avatar. A bolt shot out of her two fingers and met with Aang's back which coursed through his body harshly. He fell to the ground unconscious, but was immediately caught by Katara. Slowly, the Dai Li, Zuko, and Azula encroached around Katara. With amazing power, Katara summoned water from all around her and propelled herself upwards towards the ceiling with Aang in her arms and escaped out of the catacombs.**_

_**They were all pushed forcefully away with the waves, but Azula smiled anyways. She defeated the Avatar.**_

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

_I had accomplished so much in only a few days. But yes..._

_...I had finally done it. I had finally taken over Ba Sing Se, something my uncle attempted to do, but never accomplished. He had an army. I had two of my friends and myself. Well, I suppose the Dai Li had helped, but without my tactics, they would have never come under my control._

_The impenetrable fortress... Ba Sing Se was finally mine!_

* * *

Azula continued to follow the captain as they headed down a few steps. They entered into a long dark hallway only lit up by a single torch. There was an iron door at the end. She looked back and thought that they had made a wrong turn. The captain reached the door and placed a hand on the knob. "Welcome to your new cell 'princess' Azula." He opened it and inside was nothing, just four walls and a door. There was no window, not even a bed. How could she "rest" like he had suggested if there was no bed? "This cell is...a lot bigger than the one you were in before." He smiled at her reassuringly.

Azula only saw a few chains in the middle of the floor. It was dark in there and the only light that illuminated the inside came from the single torch on the wall in the hallway. Her mind finally made the dismal connection. She turned around to make a run for it, but the guard behind her took hold of her shoulders. "I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." He forced her into the cell. They pushed her forcefully onto the ground into a lying position. They removed the cuffs. She was sprawled on the floor with each limb pointing at each direction of the four corners of the room. The guard pinned her legs down while the captain locked the chains onto her hands. Then the guard switched and pinned down her arms while the captain locked two more chains around her ankles. She felt the cold hard ground on her back, and she felt uncomfortable. She tried shaking free, but it didn't work. She stared up at the captain and the guard. "If you behave well, we might consider putting you back in your original cell. It's a lesson that you'll have to learn the hard way."

She would be spending the rest of her time lying on the floor, chained up, unable to move, staring up at a ceiling? How did they expect her to survive in a dark room with no light and no window to look out of? If she didn't plead with anyone now, her voices would definitely consume her sanity.

She cried a little. "Wait. I'm sorry! Please! Just let me go back to my old cell, and I'll behave. I promise! Just...I don't want to be here!"

The captain looked at her with pity in his eyes. "I...can't take that chance. This is the only thing that can fully incapacitate you from harming yourself...and anyone else who comes into contact with you." They walked away and the captain turned to look at her one last time. "Guards will be checking up on you every now and then. That's the best I can guarantee..." He began to lock the door behind him. It became darker and darker and soon enough, the entire room was engulfed in darkness.

As the captain walked down the hallway, a scream echoed from the cell behind him. "Nooooo! Come back! Please!" was all he heard repeatedly. He felt a chill run up and down his spine. "I don't want to be _alone_!" She was crying, he heard. He ignored it and continued to make his way back to the observation tower.

**Azula's biggest downfall: loneliness. :( That stinks! Thanks for reading and reviewing! You know reviews are cool to leave behind, if you catch my drift! Oh, and let me explain some things: The first diary (season 2 of Avatar) was just finished in this chapter. The next diaries are from season 3. I couldn't just leave the first one unfinished. Get it now? Sorry if it was confusing. Next chapter: We check back on Mai, Zuko, and Ty Lee.**


	10. Giving Up Pt 1

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes: **Thank you for all the nice reviews. I think you all deserve some action! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Avatar or characters. Mike and Brian do.

**Chapter 10**

**Giving Up (Pt. 1)**

_...I'm sincerely sorry she tried attacking you, your highness. I take full responsibility. Yes, I know what happened in that cell. You might not have told me yourself, but I have other sources. One of the guards saw the exchange. But__, after you left, she tried giving herself a concussion by throwing her head against the wall of her cell. As a precaution, we had to restrain her and place her in a different cell, one slightly underground. We had to assume that she was trying to commit suicide. That, along with her recent fights not only with the inmates but with the other guards as well, has earned her time there. We would have done the same thing if it were any other prisoner. Her treatment is not special._

_Ever since we placed her in that cell, her behavior has not gotten any better. In fact, we think it might have worsened. Every time one of our guards brings her food, she refuses to eat. There was one incident when a guard had brought her her food, and she had to unchain her from the floor. That was a mistake, because the next thing we knew, Azula attacked her. It took several guards to pin her down without hurting her. The guard she attacked visited the infirmary with several scratches on her face and on her arms. She refused to go back there. Ever since then, my men have tried feeding her while they kept her chained to the floor. I know they hate doing it. It's not something they want to do, but they do it anyways because they have to. They try feeding her, but either she spits it out on their faces or she keeps her mouth closed the entire time. Not once has she complied with what we've told her to do. She's withering away. _**  
**

_Another problem we have with her is her threats. She's recently threatened several of the guards if they ever got close to her. Since she can't move around that much, those threats have been nothing but empty, but it's still a sign that she isn't getting healthier. She's also been crying and yelling at herself every single night. The guards are spooked out by it all. Getting them to keep their post at her cell is difficult. She's losing her sanity._

_Bathroom breaks are even harder. Every prisoner is given at least one day a week to clean themselves. We tried allowing her that freedom once when she was at her most serene. Her attitude at that time was fake, and she tried escaping from the prison. She slashed people, she kicked them, she punched them, she even bit one of them. Finally, after several minutes, we had her restrained and had no other choice but to place her right back in the cell. Nothing's changed in a week. We're not even sure what to do with her anymore..._

Zuko reread the report over and over until his head started to hurt. He placed down the scroll and held his forehead in his hand. He sighed a huge sigh. _Boy, I'm not doing much saving now, am I? _He was more depressed now than he was back when she had nearly taken off his face.

It had been a week since that disparaging day when Zuko, Mai, and Ty Lee went to visit Azula. Reading that report made Zuko angry with himself. He wasn't sure of what to do. Azula was getting worse day after day, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Since that day, Zuko never really had a chance to go back to Boiling Rock. He was too busy taking care of the nation. He wasn't even really sure if he had wanted to go back now after reading that report. Her condition would need time to heal, he already knew that, but it seemed that time wasn't healing her at all. It was doing the exact opposite. It was making her worse, and Zuko wanted so desperately to do something about that.

Zuko watched as the flame in the fireplace began to die down. He got up, grabbed more wood, placed it into the fireplace, and firebended a few flames at it. It took his mind off of Azula and the rest of the world for a few seconds, but then his mind started to think about them again. _What am I going to do?_ _Did I make her worse? What do I do about the riots in the city? How will I resolve the debt situation? Can Azula change? Would Mai be willing to go back there with me? Do I even want to go back to see her? Why is my life like this?_

He stared at the flames, and watched as a few sparks flew upwards away from the wood. _What if... _He decided to take his mind off of this whole situation by going to see Mai. It seemed like he hadn't seen her in a long while. Maybe talking to her would reorganize his scattered thoughts. He walked out into the library, report in hand, and headed for her room. As he walked, he looked up into the sky. He brought up a hand to block out the brightness. It was barely afternoon, because the sun was still pretty high up above him.

He turned a corner and found the all-too-familiar door to which he was walking to. He cleared his throat and knocked. After a few seconds, he heard a "come in" that was slightly muffled through the door. It was the voice of Mai. He smiled and turned the doorknob. He walked inside and found Mai sitting in front of her vanity staring at the mirror, brushing her hair. He decided to start things off lightly.

He laughed. "You know, we have hired servants that can come and do that stuff for you..."

Mai while still brushing her hair, looked at Zuko's reflection. She smiled. "Well, I decided to give them a break today. Besides, I can do my own hair."

He walked up closer to where she was sitting. "Oh, and by the way, you look...especially beautiful today?"

Mai stopped brushing her hair and placed the brush on the vanity. She frowned. "Okay, what did you do now?"

Zuko gave a surprised look. "What? I can't comment on how radiant the Fire Lady looks today?" He bent down and placed an arm around her shoulders. "You're welcome!" He turned his head to kiss her on her cheek.

She put her smile back on. "You know, flattery isn't exactly your forte..." She turned her head to kiss him on the lips.

"I try my best." He let go and walked over to the open doors of the balcony to stare out at the view. "So...How'd your 'negotiations' go?" He was referring to Mai's attempt at swelling down the riots.

"It's been a week and there's still no progress." Her smile faded into an emotionless expression. "I think they're getting worse Zuko. Houses are getting broken into, the poor are stealing from the poor, and the rich continue to hire protection for their own homes..." She turned to look at him. "I'm not sure if this thing will ever be resolved..."

He turned to look back at her. "I think you and I have been having the same problems..." He pointed at the balcony to suggest to Mai that they go out there. She nodded and got up from her seat to follow where he went.

She became curious. "What do you mean?"

He leaned his elbows on the railing. "First, I'd like to thank you for trying to help me with some of the problems of the Fire Nation. You've been really helpful." He smiled at her.

"Yeah, okay, but what were you talking about? The same problems?"

He sighed and stared out at the horizon. "...What you just said reminded me of this." He held up the scroll to Mai. She stared at it with dull eyes. "Go ahead, read it."

She took the scroll and unraveled it. She sat down on a nearby chair and crossed her legs. There was nothing but silence and the slight murmur of the wind as it blew several leaves into the air. Zuko tried cheering himself up with the view.

"Zuko...I..." She looked at it again. "Is she-" She kept on stopping herself to read the report. She was beginning to understand. She walked up closer to Zuko to place a hand on his back. "Zuko, are you...okay?"

"I'm fine, but she's not," he said as he pointed to the scroll. "I...I'm not sure what to do Mai. I thought that I could find a solution by talking to you since doing it on my own hasn't exactly worked out in the past..." He straightened his posture. "How's your diary reading going?"

"I've been a little preoccupied with the riots, Zuko. I haven't been able to get to the other two, but-"

He interrupted her. "The other two is where it all starts. I can try explaining it to you, but you'd understand it better if you read it yourself. Those diaries can explain her better than I can..." He frowned at this statement and took a while to say any more. "Mai, I know you might not like the sound of this, but-"

"You want to go see her again, right?"

He looked confused. "...You read my mind...I'm going to see her Mai, whether you like it or not. If you want to come, then come." He showed no emotion on his face. "If you don't, I'll go alone. Either way, she needs help, and I'm going to find that for her." He turned to go back into the room. "You decide...I've already made my decision."

Mai caught up with him to gently grab his arm. "Wait, Zuko, of course I'll come with you. It's just that...she's not mentally stable right now as you probably read from that report."

"I know." He turned to look her straight in the eyes. "But that's exactly why I'm going. We're all she's got right now." He walked up to the bedroom door. Mai stood still in the same position. Zuko turned back to look at her. "Well? You said you were coming." He gave her a small smile.

"And Ty Lee?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Too far. She's all the way at Kyoshi Island. We'll just have to tell her what happens later on." He opened the door.

Mai made up her mind and nodded at Zuko. The two quickly walk outside and made the garage their current destination.

* * *

"Hey, what's up?" That sounded like a woman's voice.

"Nothing much...but I did come to tell you that two extremely important guests are headed your way to visit your cell." That sounded like a man's.

"Ugh, don't call it 'my cell.' I'd rather not be here. I'm just lucky enough to not have her screaming in there right now...Gotta tell you, she is one whack-job..."

He laughed. "So I've heard. Is it really rare to not hear any yelling in there?"

"Hmmm, now that you mention it, she has been awfully quiet in there." She heard a tapping at the door. "Hello? Hey! You still alive in there?"

The man laughed. "Well, I gotta get back to my post. I'll be working all day today, so maybe I'll see you later?"

"Aw, do you have to go already? C'mon, just stay for a few more minutes."

"I'd _love_ to, but duty calls, and I'd rather not screw this job up."

"You mean, like you've done with all the other ones?" This time they both laughed.

"Hey, have fun taking care of the loonies, 'kay?"

"Yeah, yeah...jerk! Oh and thanks for the heads up..."

"No problem!"

Azula began to stir from her sleep. She moved her head around and opened her eyes. A ceiling was what had greeted her vision. The conversation that had taken place just outside her door between the two guards woke her up. She heard the entire thing. _Important guests?_ This was her chance to implement one of her plans. She had been thinking of a way to escape her current predicament the entire week when her voices didn't drop by to say "hello." She may have been going a little crazy but her mind was still working partially. Her craftiness was still intact.

She went over the entire thing again in her mind. It was definitely risky, and she wasn't even sure if success was guaranteed. She had desperately wanted to know what time it was, whether it was day or night. Night would be her best chance, but what guests come during the night? So, she had to assume that it was still daylight, and that she needed to be extra careful when she carried out her plan of escape.

_The only way to come here to this prison facility would be by flight. A balloon or an airship is something that will help me tremendously._ Her heart began to pound ferociously. She tried calming herself down. She'd have to hurry. Her voices would come back and attack her mind if she didn't do this quickly. The food was set nearby and the "guests" were coming. Everything was put into place. All she had to do was make the connections. _Now!_

She tried pulling her hands free. She had been starving herself on purpose. What they didn't know was that the chains were slowly becoming more loose on her wrists. She tugged the chains. Her wrists were definitely a lot more thinner, but she couldn't get her hands through. She'd need something to lubricate them. She switched to plan B. Her nails were still long and sharp and she was hoping they'd do the job. She wasn't going to enjoy the pain that would come with it though. _Oh well. Sacrifices must be made._ She balled her fists and dug her nails deeply into her palms. She gritted her teeth down and bit on the inside of her cheek to keep her mind off of the pain coming from her hands. Finally, she felt something wet crawl down her hands. She looked to her side. Four crimson lines appeared down her wrists. She opened her hands and lifted them slightly. She allowed gravity to force the blood down to the chains.

After waiting a few minutes, she inhaled deeply, and yanked roughly on the chains. With enough effort, she got her hands through. They were finally free. She inspected her hands. Each had four nail-shaped lines on the palms. She'd have to ignore them for now. She got into a sitting position. Now the only thing that kept her from escaping were her feet. She wouldn't be able to lubricate them through, but that was why she calculated in the food to still be in her cell. She leaned over to her right side and grabbed the tray. On it was one small bowl of rice and a fork. Her mind was brought back to how they tried force-feeding her. _Disgusting. _She shook her head. She needed to remain focused.

She grabbed the fork and tried freeing her feet by picking the lock. She had never done it before so she wasn't sure if she was ever going to get them free. Immediately, she heard the door opening slowly. It was the guard coming to check up on her. She didn't calculate her into the plan. How could she have missed this one tiny thing? She stared helplessly at the woman with the fork still in her hand.

The guard's eyes widened. She walked up more closely to see what she was doing clearly. "What are you-?"

Azula then plunged the fork into the guard's foot. She screamed. Azula grabbed the tray and aimed it for the side of her legs. The guard fell onto her side. Azula finally took the tray and slammed it on top of her face knocking her out. _That was...unexpected, but still effective. _Azula could see much better now thanks to the torch in the hallway. Before, she was working by feeling, but now, her eyes had help from the light. She leaned over and grabbed the guard's set of keys. She lifted them up into the light to see which one was her's. She really had no clue, so she tried each and every one of them. A few minutes passed by, and Azula finally got her feet free. _Phase one, complete. Phase two is underway._

Azula got up and started taking off the guard's uniform. The only way she would be able to walk around this facility would be by disguise. If she walked out there like herself, she would immediately be caught. She could have tried hiding, but that would be too risky. This way was much more safer. She dressed into the uniform and to complete the disguise, she grabbed the helmet from off the guard along with the eye-piece and placed it onto her herself. She checked to make sure everything was okay. She dragged the body into the corner. If they ever did catch her, and they probably would, that would give her more time to escape because they'd be too busy focusing on helping the guard out. She went outside and locked the door behind her. She walked through the hallway into the open space and walked up the stairs. Suddenly, her eyes caught two distinct people heading her way in front of her: The Fire Lord and Fire Lady accompanied by the captain. She panicked a little and swallowed nervously. She wasn't sure of how she was going to get passed them without them seeing through her ruse. She thought of a solution quickly. She walked to the side when she was only a few feet away from them and bowed to show her "respect."

"Her cell is right down these steps," stated the captain. Mai eyed the guard bowing to them on the side.

"You ready Zuko?" They continued to walk past her. She kept her head bowed the entire time until they were down the steps.

That wasn't good. Now she needed to really hustle on out there. She got up from her bow and ran to the exit. She came by a few guards who looked at her strangely but she tried ignoring them. Hopefully, none of them would be suspicious enough to ask her what she was doing. She finally located the exit. She was only a few feet away from her freedom.

* * *

"Hmmm, that's strange. A guard is _always_ posted in front of her cell..." The captain wondered where the guard could have gone. "I'll have to...find out what's going on. In the meantime, here's her cell Fire Lord Zuko." He took out his own set of keys and began to unlock the door.

Zuko became nervous, Mai noticed, so she lightly rubbed his arm. Zuko looked at her, thankful that she came along. The captain opened the door. "Here she..." The captain stood still in front of them blocking the entrance. He was shocked at what he found.

Zuko walked up closer to him. "What is it?" He saw that no one was in there. All he saw was a few chains lying on the floor, opened. The captain ran through the hallway and cupped his hands together around his mouth. "Anyone! A prisoner has escaped! Red alert! A prisoner has escaped!"

_How did he know that? _Zuko then walked inside the cell and saw a body in a corner without their uniform just dressed down to a shirt and thin pants. Then he realized what had happened. "She's gone?!"

Mai was surprised. At the condition of the cell, she had wondered how Azula had ever managed that. She opened her mouth to speak. "Where could she have-" She didn't have to continue. Her gut feelings were telling her something. They were making the connections for her. She remembered the guard at the top of the stairs bowing down keeping her face low. She thought that it was weird that she didn't greet them formally, but she had just ignored it. Now she couldn't any longer. "Zuko! I know where she is! And I think I know where she's headed to!"

"Where?!" Zuko yelled, but it was too late. Mai had ran off in the direction of the stairs. He had to trust her. During times like these, Mai always pulled through, it seemed. He followed after her as did the captain.

The captain ran up to her side. "You know? Where?!"

She glanced at him. "One of the guards that we passed by looked suspicious. I knew there was something wrong with her...Captain, if my suspicions are correct, then she's headed for the lifts to hijack one of our balloons!"

His eyes bulged. "What?! ...We've got to do something!" They passed by a few guards while running. He pointed at a few of them. "You, you, you, and you, come with me! We've got an escaped prisoner to apprehend!" All seven of them ran for the lifts.

* * *

Azula made it out onto the platform. She had to congratulate herself. She had no powers, but she somehow managed to escape without alerting anyone. Now all she had to do was get onto those lifts. She saw the balloon ahead of her, about a mile away. The lift ride would be long, and Azula had hoped that no one would stop it in the middle of its course because they finally figured out that she was the escaped convict.

She saw no one around. The platform was clear. She headed for the the control levers. Then, out of nowhere, a sharp knife appeared on the floor right in front of her. Immediately after, she felt a stinging sensation on her right cheek. She brought her hand up to inspect the damage. She brought it in front of her face. Blood was splattered on her fingertips. The cut on her cheek was caused by the knife on the floor. She thought she recognized it.

"You! Stop right there!" She knew it. It was Mai's voice talking behind her. Azula had to think of something quick.

"_Now's your chance! You can get your revenge," _she heard her voice say. They were finally coming back to haunt her. If Azula didn't do anything now, the voice would take over her entire mind. She bit down hard on her tongue until blood came out. Its coppery taste filled her sensations. The pain would keep her focused.

"Who are you?!" Mai asked. Azula kept her mouth shut. After waiting a while, Mai became impatient. "Put your hands up where I can see them!"

Azula smiled to herself. She knew Mai's assassin abilities well. She'd just have to use them against her somehow if she was ever going to get out of this situation. She slowly raised her hands into the air.

"Turn around!"

Azula's smile changed into a bitter frown after hearing that voice. It was her brother's, and she loathed it deeply. Now that a firebender was thrown into the mix, her plan of escape would definitely be harder to accomplish. She had to think of something quick.

"You heard the man! Turn around, now!"

Azula turned around but kept her head low. She stared down at the floor.

"You got something to hide? Huh?" Mai walked a little closer to her with a blade in her right hand pointing towards her. "Show me your face!"

Azula still had on her helmet and goggles. She had hoped that it wouldn't have to come to this, but she had to comply with what she commanded for now. Azula lifted her head to look at Mai straight in the eyes. She noticed Mai's expression turned annoyed. She was surprised by her current mood swing.

Mai walked even closer to the "guard" with her knife in her hand barely touching her nose. "Take off your goggles!"

This was it. It was her last line of defense. Slowly, Azula grabbed the sides of the goggles. She closed her eyes and took them off.

Mai still wanted more proof. "Look me in the eyes!"

Her eyes suddenly opened up. She smiled. "Surprise!" Then in a split second, she grabbed Mai's extended arm holding the knife, took hold of the knife with her right hand, brought her left elbow down onto the middle of Mai's arm, and grabbed the blade she let go. In an instant, Azula placed her left arm around Mai's neck and pressed the blade against her right cheek. Mai was caught in her hold.

Zuko's eyes opened up widely in response to what he was seeing.

Azula dragged Mai back to the lifts. "You follow me, I kill her!" Mai scolded herself for letting her guard down. She tried calming herself. Getting scared wasn't going to help her in any way. She tried formulating a plan in her head.

Zuko took a few steps closer towards Azula. He had his fists lifted into the air in a firebending stance. He had wanted to seem threatening to her. "Azula! Let her go!"

Azula amazingly stopped to listen. All the while, the guards tried blocking her exit. Azula didn't notice. "Why? So you can put me back in that cell?"

"_Attack! Kill Mai! Attack!" _The voices were getting stronger. She shook her head and then pointed the blade at Zuko. "You...Get away from me!" she yelled at him furiously.

Mai knew that now was the time to do something. Her right arm slightly hurt from that last attack, but now it was beginning to feel normal again. She felt the metal contraption under her sleeve with her fingertips. No matter where she went, Mai always made sure that she kept this little device handy. She only had one shot at this. She looked down at Azula's right foot and fisted her right hand. She aimed and pulled the string. All of a sudden, a barrage of arrows came flying out of Mai's sleeve. Most hit the floor and ricocheted off in different directions, but one of them luckily met its mark. Azula screamed in pain. Mai pushed her onto the floor and quickly ran to Zuko's side.

Azula was on the ground writhing in pain. She got back up and winced as she put pressure on her right foot. It looked ugly. A small arrow was protruding from out of it and blood was trickling out slightly. The guards tried closing in on her but she still held the knife in her hand. She pointed it out to all of them. "Stay away!" She had to fix her right foot somehow. She quickly bent down and grabbed the part of the arrow that was sticking out. She closed her eyes and pulled mightily.

Mai had to close her eyes in discomfort. She heard Azula grunt but not scream. She was definitely tough when she needed to be, Mai gave her that.

Azula wanted to faint from the dizziness she was feeling. Her vision was becoming shaky once again. She was losing too much blood. She also hadn't eaten in days. All this struggling was taking its toll on her body. She forced herself to focus. She looked behind her. The guards blocked her way to the lifts. She completely missed that. Now she was surrounded on all sides. The guards began to close in on her. She was being cornered to the edge of the platform that overlooked the boiling water below. Azula felt the railing behind her.

Zuko stood out and placed his hands into the air to signal for the guards to stay where they were. He turned to look at her. "Azula, it's okay...We're here to help you. I promise, you'll get better treatment..."

"_It's over. This is the end."_

"_Jump, just do it. It would be better than living in this prison rotting away in a cell for the rest of your life."_

"_You don't matter any more. You'll be doing them a favor."_

Azula heard the voices replay in her mind. They encouraged her to take her life. She felt confused. How did she end up like this? Just a few minutes ago, she had everything ready to go. Her plan was set, and now, she was backed up into a corner being told by her voices that her only escape was at the bottom of that lake. She grabbed her head in agitation.

"Let me help you Azula. Just trust me..." He walked closer offering her his right hand.

Azula dropped the knife and arrow onto the ground. Zuko watched as his sister slowly placed one foot onto the top of the rail and then another. He began to worry that he wasn't getting through to her. She held out her arms to balance herself. "They're right..."

Zuko looked bewildered. "Who's right, Azula?"

"I can't live like this any more...My fate awaits me...down there."

Zuko panicked. "Azula, don't listen to them! Listen to me! Fight whatever you're hearing, keep on going, don't give up!"

Azula looked down at Zuko. "You win Zuko. I concede to you..." Zuko stared wide-eyed. "Game over..." she muttered to herself quietly. She pointed her arms out so that her entire body seemed to form the letter "T," and leaned back. She fell and fell, and she continued to fall, until darkness consumed her vision.

**:( This is even more depressing than last time! Oh well, thanks for reading and reviewing! Last chapter 'til I can find a way to update. Noooo! The suspense is killing me! Well, good luck to everyone on the new school year. Next chapter: Part 2  
**


	11. Giving Up Pt 2

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes:** And now, the exciting conclusion to "Giving Up"! Okay, I have no clue how I found the time to get this up here. I checked on the reviews and you guys kinda made me feel guilty. So I tried extra hard...But now I gots to hustle. o.O Stop making me take back the things I say! Happy reading!

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own Avatar or its characters, but I will soon, in the near future. Yup! At the same time, pigs will grow wings, and I shall prove to everyone that they _can_ fly! Muahahaha!

**Chapter 11**

**Giving Up (Pt. 2)**

"You win Zuko. I concede to you..."

_Please, don't do it..._

Zuko was only a few feet away from her. If he could just get a little closer, he'd be able to force her back down. However, it seemed like that wasn't going to be the case.

Azula lifted her arms into the air.

_No..._

He watched as she started to lean her head back.

_No._

Then her entire body followed after it. Her feet left the railing, and soon enough, gravity took its course. Within the period of just a few seconds, Zuko watched helplessly as Azula plunged to her death.

"Nooo!!"

Zuko vowed to himself and once openly to Mai that he would never give up on her, that he would always strive to find the solution to all her problems. Not once did he consider Azula to do something so selfish as to take her own life. He always figured her out to be a fighter, not a quitter. And now, right in front of his eyes, a tragedy was taking place. This was the type of tragedy that he was trying to avoid. It was one that he would never be able to recover from. Today, at this precise moment, it was time to make good on his promise.

Zuko shed his robe onto the floor, revealing a red shirt with a vest on top and a pair of burgundy pants. Determination was set in his eyes. He wanted to do the saving, and now, he would finally get that chance. Zuko sprinted towards the rails.

Mai was as shocked as ever at what had just happened a few feet in front of her. She knew that Azula had lost her mind; she just didn't know how lost it was. Then she caught something in the corner of her eye. It was a red blur running right past her. She deduced that it was Zuko, but she wasn't sure of what exactly he was aiming for.

Zuko jumped onto the railing. By then, Mai had already connected the dots. She ran after him with her arm held out to grab him. "Zuko! Don't!" But it was already too late.

Zuko pushed himself off with his feet into a dive. He saw Azula a few meters away. He noticed that her eyes were closed. Accepting her fate, perhaps? He was going to stop this tragedy from ever taking place. As he fell, the wind whipped him in the face. He had to squint to see properly. The lake below was getting closer and closer. If he didn't hurry, Azula would be the first to plunge into it.

He brought his arms to his sides to allow him to shoot down faster like an arrow. It wasn't enough. He needed more speed. He calmed himself down and focused all of his power in his hands and feet. He opened up his hands. Orange flame came bursting out from them as well as his feet. It was a trick that Uncle had tried teaching him in the past. In his previous attempts, Zuko was never able to levitate from off the ground. His uncle had tried encouraging him to never give up, but he eventually did. He didn't have enough time to practice as much as he had wanted. This new "technique" was the only thing that he now relied on. It was the only thing that could save both him and Azula at the same time. Today, he would have to master flying.

The flames he produced behind him propelled him even faster towards Azula. Now he was barely a few inches away from her. He stopped producing flame in his right hand and reached out for Azula's arm. They were practically face to face free-falling at the same time.

_I'm almost there. Just a little more..._

He checked on the boiling waters in front of him. They had significantly expanded because they were getting closer to it. Whatever he had tried doing before, he would have to finish now. Zuko took hold of her wrist and brought his left hand up to aim the flames at the water. He was now focusing on slowing himself down. His hand lowered his speed, but it seemed like he was still coming in too fast. As a result of aiming his hand at the lake, his feet were brought down, and he was placed back into an upright position. Azula was only inches away from touching the water. His feet lowered down his speed significantly, but they were still dropping slowly. He came up with an idea. He stopped his left hand and now with both of his hands free, he tried pulling Azula up. He was able to bring her into a hug with his arms. He put more burst into the flames of his feet. They leisurely came to a stop. He had done it. He was floating above water.

"Azula, you're safe now..." he said to her. She was currently unconscious, so anything he tried saying to her would be pointless.

He looked up to see how long of a drop they had really taken. It was only a few stories. During the entire time, it seemed like hours had passed by. He looked back up to the railing. Although she looked really small, he spotted Mai staring down at him. He knew that he would definitely get a scolding later on from her, and he wasn't really looking forward to that.

With one arm holding onto Azula, Zuko pumped out more flames from one of his hands and aimed it below. Slowly but surely, they made their way to the top. It had taken him several minutes, but they finally reached the platform. Zuko came down for a landing and bent down to gently place Azula on the floor. He stood back up and stared down at her. She looked scrawny and skinnier now than she was the last time he last saw her. He had wondered how she ever managed to escape and pull this entire thing off.

Mai came running up to him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. Zuko smiled. Mai stopped to look at him. Her brows furrowed. She slapped his chest weakly. "How could you do something so stupid?! You could have gotten yourself killed just now!"

Zuko looked at her gingerly. "You didn't have to worry about me Mai. I knew what I was doing." He smiled at her which forced a smile out of her.

She hugged him again. "...I'm just glad you're okay." Then she noticed blood on his hands. Her eyes opened widely. "Zuko...are you bleeding?"

Several of the guards began to walk up to Azula cautiously. The healer was there, and he carried a stretcher with him. "I'm gonna need some help over here." Another guard came running up to him to help him with the stretcher. They both ran over to where she lay.

Zuko inspected his entire body. "No, I don't think so..."

Mai brought his hands up to his face. Zuko stared in bewilderment. It wasn't like that before. Dried blood decorated his palms. He tried bringing up everything he ever touched. "How did I..." He turned to look at Azula. He saw the blood on her wrists. Zuko walked over to the healer and one of the guards who were now lifting her up on the stretcher. "Wait." They stopped and Zuko brought up one in front of him to examine it. He opened her hand and found four unusually shaped cuts on her palm. She had blood under her fingernails. His investigation produced several answers to his questions. "Captain!"

The captain came running over. He clasped his hands together. "Yes, your highness? What is your request?"

"Make sure you cut her nails and fix up her hands and feet. When you're done with that, I want you to place her back in her old cell."

The captain's eyes widened. "But...sir, she might try hurting herself again...and us..."

"Captain, ever since you put her in that cell, her condition's been getting worse. Maybe giving her more freedom would cure some of it...If you do have any trouble dealing with her again, then and only then do I allow you permission to place her back in that cell."

The captain humbly obeyed. "Yes, Fire Lord Zuko. Shall I continue to file reports on her behavior?"

He nodded. "Yes. And if she ever tries something like this again, send me a message right away. I'll try helping out."

The captain bowed. "As you wish your highness." He walked over to the doctor. "Take her to the infirmary and inform me of when you're done."

"Yes, captain." The doctor and the guard carried the stretcher back into the facility.

Zuko walked back to Mai. It was getting darker and the sun was setting. It was getting harder for him to see. He picked up his robes and put them back on.

"Well, what should we do now?"

Zuko took a minute to respond as he placed the robes around himself. "There's nothing more we can do...It's getting dark right now. I say we call it a night."

Mai nodded and sighed in relief. So much had happened today. So many feelings and emotions were experienced and expressed. _Suicide._ _Looks like it wasn't far from beyond her reach. _Were Mai's thoughts of Azula wrong to begin with? Was holding a grudge against her the most inappropriate thing to do? Mai wasn't sure about the whole thing. Azula and Mai weren't exactly close friends, but something from the situation that played itself through today was reaching out for her. Something popped all the way from the back of Mai's mind into her main thought process. It was a huge blinking warning sign that tried telling her that Azula was _not_ okay, and Mai couldn't ignore it.

"_We were never her friends to begin with!"_

"_She needs our help..."_

"_If you were in her position, could you really do it all by yourself?"_

"_I'm just...unsure on the subject..."_

_I'm just unsure._

_I'm just unsure..._

Mai walked over to where her blade and arrow lay near the edge. She bent down to pick them up.

"_Why? So you can put me back in that cell?"_

It was dark and dingy. There was no torch, no window, no nothing in that cell.

"_She's also been crying and yelling at herself every single night."_

"_She's confused, Mai..."_

"...and she needs our help..." she whispered quietly. No one but herself heard that. She looked down over the railing. Azula looked calm and peaceful when she stood up there. She looked like she was ready to face the end with no regret. Mai was beginning to understand everything Ty Lee tried explaining to her. When she left to go back to Kyoshi Island, Mai felt that a weight lifted off her shoulders. She wouldn't have to feel bad anymore for Azula. She recalled a few things Ty Lee said to her right before she got on the ship.

"_Mai, I know you're still angry at her...but, if you could just look into your heart and find the strength to forgive-"_

"_I'll look, but I'm not sure if I'll find anything of that sort for her."_

"_...Well, I've done all I can. We've read some of the most depressing things in her life, and even caused one of them. We went to go see her looking like a complete wreck. I told you what she looked like when I went back there...and you still refuse to help her. Will anything ever change your opinion of her, Mai?"_

The weight she previously held came back. Her conscience helped force it back on. It was the burden of worrying about Azula.

A breeze picked up gently and blew on her face. A few strands of her hair fell out of place. She fixed them neatly and turned around, sighing deeply. She looked at Zuko for comfort. He was her rock, and Mai never wanted to let go of that rock. He held her up; he kept her strong. Right now, Mai wanted to be there for Zuko. Before, her pride and selfishness created scales that covered her eyes. She knew now that Zuko would need all the support in the world to get him through this difficult trial.

Mai observed the way Zuko currently carried himself. His shoulders were drooping and his breathing was heavy, and it wasn't because he was tired. Mai walked over to him and placed a hand on his back to rub it gently. They both looked at each other. "Zuko...She'll be all right. She's got _you_ looking out for her."

His mouth formed a straight line. "...What about you?"

She put on a small smile. "Yeah, me too..."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Mai...After you."

He pointed a hand at the entrance to the lift. Mai stepped in, and Zuko followed. One of the guards stayed behind to control the levers. Mai looked ahead of her at the balloon, and then turned back to see the platform just before the doors closed.

_...Me too..._

The doors closed, and the lift began to move. She stared through the window to see the platform become smaller and smaller. She closed her eyes and thought quietly to herself. _Maybe it is time for me to let go...let go of this hatred all bottled up inside of me. _She looked at Zuko who stared back at the facility. _If not for her, then for Zuko...I'm just not sure how _I _can help._

Zuko noticed Mai was staring at him. They both looked at each other and smiled helplessly. Zuko placed an arm around her shoulders, and Mai leaned her head against him. They would never forget that moment that had just happened a few minutes ago. Nothing would ever be able erase it from their minds.

* * *

_**Entry #25**_

_Home. It seems like I haven't been here in a long while. It was a change of pace that was nice for once. With the Avatar gone, Zuko back into Dad's good graces, and Ba Sing Se in the clutches of the Fire Nation army, I would finally be able to relax...But I wouldn't be able to get too comfortable._

_Lately, I've been noticing Zuko's behavior. Other than the normal, he's been acting nervously ever since we left the Earth Kingdom. Every time I tried asking what the matter was, he seemed scared to admit his answer. There's just something...odd about all this I can't place my finger on. Unless...he was trying to avoid telling me on purpose. Unless, somehow...the Avatar was still alive._

_As a security measure, I told father precisely what had happened, only I left a few misplaced blanks here and there. I gave Zuko all the credit...for taking down the Avatar and for rescuing me from immediate danger. He was pleased to here all this. I didn't care. He could take all the credit I gave him. I already had my glory through the fall of Ba Sing Se and uncle's capture. I spiced it up with a few lies, and Dad seemed to take it all in. Good._

_Doubt forced my hand, and Zuko would catch the blunt end of all the blame should the Avatar still be alive. For his sake, let's just hope that my attack did kill him and that no more would be seen in the resistance against the Fire Nation and its takeover._

* * *

"Well, I'm here Mai..." She sighed. "Whad'ya want?"

She could tell Ty Lee was still a little upset from the last conversation they had.

Mai cleared her throat. "Ummm...I'm not sure how to put this..."

Ty Lee folded her arms and leaned her back against the wall. "...Am I forbidden to ever go back to Kyoshi Island too?" Her question was just dripping with sarcasm.

Mai felt the sting and inwardly flinched. "No, Ty Lee, of course not..."

"Well then, what is it? I'm listening carefully..."

She stared at the turtle ducks and swallowed hard. "I...think I might've been confused...about Azula..." The words were practically poison to her. It was just hard to spit them out.

Ty Lee stood up and stared at her questioningly. "...And?"

She inhaled as deeply as she could and let all the air out. "...And...you were right...about her needing our help." She held onto her throat, amazed she even got that sentence out.

Ty Lee smiled at her in a teasing way. "What are you trying to say Mai? ...That you were wr-"

Mai interrupted her. "Don't push it, Ty Lee. It was already difficult enough to say those other words out loud..."

Ty Lee's mouth formed a sizable "O." "Wow...You've never been wro-" Ty Lee noticed her death glare. "...I mean, 'confused' about anything before in your life!"

Mai nodded. "I know! _Never_!"

"...Soooo, why the change of heart?"

Now the hard part was coming up. She sighed again. "Well, I did call you over for a reason..."

Ty Lee sat cross-legged on the grass. "This must have been one _huge _reason for you to have changed your mind!"

"Yup! It is..."

Ty Lee waited for her to say some more. She tried urging her to continue. "...What is it?"

Mai looked up into the clear blue sky to focus her thoughts. "Well...It all started when Zuko and I read her report..."

* * *

"Hey...You know, me and that guy over there are taking bets on how many times you plan on visiting the infirmary this whole week. I say 'twenty-seven,' but he says 'eighteen.' Now, I'm asking for your advice. Should I lower it...Or should I keep it the way it is? ...I dunno, I feel pretty comfortable with my guess..."

Azula once again found herself in the infirmary on the exact same bed she was on last time. She grabbed the wrist that had forcefully opened her eye. "I don't..." Her hand felt funny. The texture on it seemed different. She looked at them. Her nails were short, clean, and blunt, and her hands had bandages wrapped around them. She looked at her foot. Same deal.

"...So, that's a 'keep it the same way,' right?"

Azula threw him a death glare. _What happened?_ _The cell, the uniform, the lifts... _How in the world did she get here? She grabbed her head in her hand. Azula's bandages from her nose, head, and arm were long gone. Her wounds were healing. Unfortunately, the scar from her stitches on her head would be there for a little while longer. She felt them.

"I have no idea how you keep on surviving miraculously. Either it's just pure dumb luck...or, you've got plenty of people around you who care for you..."

She stared up at him in confusion.

"I'm not talking about myself here...Yup, that brother of yours cares too much about you. Him and your friends come and visit you, and all you can seem to do is hurt yourself twenty-five more times..."

She looked at her hands. "Shows how much you know."

"What? ...Listen, the Fire Lord risked his own life to save yours. The least you can do is be a little thankful the next time he comes around."

Her eyes became huge. "What did you say?"

He nodded at her. "I saw the whole thing myself..."

No, she was feeling "it" again. Regret.

The healer turned to look at the guard by the door. "Hey, 'guy-with-no-name,' could you please tell the captain she's awake?"

The guard obeyed and walked out the door.

Azula felt fear again. He noticed. "It's okay. You're going to be placed back in your old cell." He smiled at her. "Courtesy of Fire Lord Zuko himself..."

_What? _Regret overwhelmed her. It washed over her entire body like a wave that came from out of nowhere. He did all this for her. _Why?_

The captain walked in with a fake smile painted on his face. "I'm here to escort you back to your old cell." He swallowed. "You will be given the proper nutrition that you've missed the entire week. I hope you enjoy it..." He turned to look at the healer. "May I?"

"Sure, she'll be fine if she's placed back there."

The captain helped Azula from off the bed. Her foot was still burdening her, so the captain and a guard had to help her walk. She placed an arm around each of their shoulders and began to move. It was only a minute later that they finally reached her cell. They placed her gently onto the wooden bed and started walking away. Before he left, the captain turned around to look at her. "A guard will be coming with all the food. I encourage you to eat and get healthier...That's all..."

He walked out of the cell and locked the door behind him. Azula laid down on her bed to stare up at the ceiling. Pictures of what had taken place on the platform appeared in her sight. She shook her head in disappointment. She put her arm over her eyes to stop the tears from coming out. From the way she was lying, two tear drops fell automatically. She sniffled and thought about Zuko. _Why am I still alive? _She turned to her side and closed her eyes. Hopefully, her dreams would not be filled with visions from her past or of what was to come, and she would have pleasant ones that didn't involve her life.

**Thanks for reading! :)  
**


	12. Third Time's a Charm

**Once Burned**

**Chapter 12**

**Third Time's a Charm**

_**Entry #26**_

_I can't help this feeling any more. There's something wrong...about everything._

_Doubt continues to linger in my mind. Is the Avatar really alive? Did he survive that last attack? That waterbender girl...They're known for their healing abilities, especially in the North Pole. Was it possible for her to heal the Avatar of his wound? No, impossible. My shot was dead on. No one can possibly survive that...But, this is the Avatar I'm thinking of, master of all elements. _

_When I took him on, he didn't even seem to be the master of anything. It was too easy of a fight. But why am I haunted by an ominous feeling that I...failed?_

_...Zuko did, not me. If he is alive, I will point the finger at him._

_There can be no peace, not until I know for sure that his grave was created at Ba Sing Se. I'm willing to bet Zuko knows. He's been too jumpy over the last few days. I think they're connected somehow._

_Well, we'll see. I'll just have to goad the answer out of him if I am ever to find any sort of rest._

* * *

"She _what_?!" Her eyes bulged in worry. She jumped up to stand on her feet.

Mai folded her arms and nodded. "Mm-hmm...I don't want to sound harsh Ty, but...told you so."

Ty Lee stopped her pacing and stared at Mai with her mouth wide open. "...Then what happened? Don't tell me she's-"

"No, no, she's not dead. Lucky for her, Zuko jumped off the railing and went after her..."

She grabbed her head and started pacing again. "I...I-I...I-"

"Overwhelming, isn't it?"

"Just a tad." Ty Lee had a hard time digesting all the information she took in.

Mai's eyes followed her path. "You okay? Want me to keep going?"

She sat back down and took a deep breath. "If it ends up well, then yes. Please continue."

"I'm not sure if you could call this one a 'happy ending.'" She stopped to fiddle with one of her knives. There was a momentary space of silence as the wind blew by. The only thing that could be heard was the rustling of the leaves. A few fell into the pond and floated with the current caused by the light breeze. Ty Lee stared at them in thought waiting for Mai to resume her story. "It depends on the way you look at it. Zuko survived, and it was a happy ending for us but, for her...not so much."

Ty Lee turned her head to look at Mai. "What do you mean?"

Mai spotted an apple on the tree. She got up from the bench and decided to have a little target practice. She looked down at her knife. "She may have been alive Ty Lee..." She looked back up at the apple. She held out her left arm and threw back her right. "But, she was far from 'safe' thanks to the little stunt she tried pulling earlier." The knife went flying for the stem. It slashed right on through leaving the apple to fall by itself. Ty Lee stood back up and held out her hands to grab the falling apple. All of a sudden, it disappeared. She looked around. On the middle of the wall, the apple rested with a blade sticking out of it. She turned to look at Mai who had her arm extended staring at her target. "Her mind isn't what it should be." She closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. "You were right. She's confused."

"Nice," complemented Ty Lee.

She shook her head. "...I'm just not sure what to do Ty."

"Are you _unsure_, or do you just don't _want_ to do anything?"

"I...I don't know. Tell me...what _should_ I do?"

"Hmmm..." Ty Lee placed her chin between her index finger and thumb. "I know! We should go back and visit her!"

Mai became shocked. "Why does helping her always involve _us _visiting? Look at our history! Trying to 'talk' to her..." She formed air quotes. "Hasn't exactly worked out those last two times. I say we go with a different approach."

Ty Lee gave her a mocking stare. "And what? Telepathically link with her mind and talk to her _that_ way?"

Mai arched her brow. She placed a hand on her hip. "You can do that?"

"What? No! Of course not! ...Listen, she needs _our_ help, right?" Mai nodded. "And how do you suppose we _give_ her our help?" She scratched her head in confusion. Ty Lee continued. "By going to see her, right? How else could we fix her?"

Mai stayed silent for a few more minutes. "...Let me get back to you on that."

"Aw, c'mon, Mai! You've got to be kidding me! You said it yourself! You thought you were 'confused.'"

"Yes! I said I was 'confused!' I didn't say 'I wanted to go see her again...'"

"So, what's your plan then?" Ty Lee's voice sounded annoyed. "Leave her all by herself to fix her own problems? Never go back there because of what happened those two times? ...Third time's a charm, Mai. I say we give it another shot!"

Mai sighed. "...And what if you're wrong? What if something bad happens _again_?"

Ty Lee searched her mind for the appropriate answer. "No one said this was ever going to be easy..."

* * *

_**Entry #27**_

_My uncle, the Dragon of the West, gloried fighter of the Fire Nation...betrayer of his country, prisoner of the underground. Oh how the mighty have fallen._

_He sits in his dirty cell, eating and drinking all the food and tea he, can rotting away the rest of his life. He's become nothing more than a filthy beggar and a lonely old man. I almost find pity in his current condition. A tragedy. He could've been so much more. Oh well. His fault he decided to put his own interests in front of everyone else's._

_Apparently, I'm not the only one who finds his situation sad. Zuko, of course, has gone to see him lately. For what reason, I am unsure, but I do know this: Zuko is risking his own reputation to visit Uncle Iroh. I warned him after I persuaded this secret out of him. He seems to think I have some kind of agenda against him after I gave him all the credit for killing the Avatar. "Paranoid delusions," I told him. That explanation kept him off track for now._

_As a sign that I really was trying to be a good sister, I told him that going to see Uncle was a waste of time. He didn't like that. He still holds onto all the emotional attachments he had with him, and that's not good._

_I won Zuko on my side. Getting him there was the easy part. Keeping him there is a whole 'nother level._

* * *

_One, two, three!_

Azula leaned all her weight forward onto her hands. Her legs lifted up into the air. Everything was upside down.

_Calm. Peace of mind...Balance. _She was in a handstand.

_Wow, I'm surprised I can still even do this..._

She looked ahead of her and began walking. It was difficult, and she fell the first few times, but finally, Azula got the hang of it. Back in the old days, she wasn't really one for doing "tricks" like this. It was either firebending or nothing. But, after Ty Lee showed her how _she_ was able to do it with ease and use it in her attacks, Azula became enthralled. She wanted to learn how to do some of them herself. Eventually, she did learn, and these "tricks" became integrated into her firbending. They even helped her out from a couple of rough situations that she got herself into. She was definitely thankful for having learned these abilities.

She stopped and thought of something else. She wanted to take it further. She began raising her right arm. She tried balancing herself with only one. It began to shake violently.

Keeping herself busy kept her mind sharp and focused. It also kept her voices at bay, besides self-mutilation. She was getting sluggish anyways, sitting in the cell the entire day doing nothing. She became bored lying on her bed the entire time, so she wanted to find something to do. This was the result.

Her thoughts drifted to what had happened a few days ago. She remembered holding Mai hostage, and how she placed that arrow right into her foot.

_How could she?! She had no right. _Then again, she was holding her against her will. Her foot began to throb while she thought about it. She was starting to lose her balance. _Focus!_ Her mind thought of something else. She remembered what the doctor told her.

"_...The Fire Lord risked his own life to save yours..."_

An image of Zuko flashed in her head, and she began to lose balance again. Her arm gave out, and she fell flat on her face. She got up and sat cross-legged, rubbing her nose viciously. She shed a tear from the pain. "Why me?" How many times had she gotten herself hurt over the past three weeks? Azula lost count.

She closed her eyes in meditation, trying to ignore her now throbbing nose. She heard a tapping at the door. "Hey, you've got some people here to see you," said the guard.

_Oh no, not again! _She became slowly agitated. She didn't want to see them right now. She didn't want to face up to her actions. It was already too much to bear. She sighed heavily and replied. "Okay." She turned herself around still cross-legged and awaited the arrival of her brother and Mai.

The door opened, and she heard some feet shuffling towards her. They stopped. She'd start the conversation off. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Well, Zuko, what did you want now? ...Ha! Did you want me to thank you for your 'heroic' accomplishments?" Hopefully, it mocked the person behind her enough to make them leave. "Too bad. I didn't _ask_ you to do that for me...Why didn't you just let me die in peace?" A hint of sorrow was present in her voice. She didn't expect _that _to come out of her mouth. She waited for a response.

"...You can't really mean that Azula. You didn't really _want_ to die, did you?" She didn't expect that either. The voice sounded light, lighter than her brother's, like it was feminine. _Ty Lee?_

Startled by this new revelation, she popped back open her eyes to stare at the wall. She didn't dare turn back because she didn't really know what to say. The atmosphere in the cell turned awkward.

"I don't get it...Why are _you_ here? What do _you_ want from me now?"

"Nothing...just to talk, that's all!" Her cheery mood almost made Azula gag. She heard her whisper to someone else. "C'mon Mai, say something..." Azula fumed. She got up and turned around to get a good look at her "guests." Ty Lee was just as preppy as ever standing to her left while Mai stood near the doorway.

Azula smiled mockingly. "Well, look who's come to grace me with her presence! It's none other than the Fire Lady herself!"

Mai stared at her without any emotion splayed across her face. She looked bored as usual. She walked up closer.

"How's your foot? Did I get it deep in there? I sure hope I did..."

She gave her her patented death glare. The guard who was standing in the corner took a few steps towards her. Azula noticed and changed her scowl into a smile. "Nice try 'your majesty.' I hope you don't really think that's going to work..."

Mai lifted a hand into the air. "It's okay, she's not _that_ much of a threat. You can go back to your post now." The guard complied and turned to leave. He closed the door behind him.

Azula couldn't help now but feel furious. Her anger was betraying her face. She pointed a finger at her. "You-" But she stopped herself. There was more than one way to win this battle, and that was to play on her weakness. It was what she was really good at.

She smiled once again. "So, how's my dear old brother. Still alive I presume?" Mai opened her mouth to say something in return, but she was immediately interrupted. "Really? You know, I'm sure he's doing a great job at being Fire Lord. Poor ZuZu, all that stress. It must be difficult for him at times...So, how many rebellions have there been? One? Two?"

Mai clenched her fists tightly.

"Seven? Fifteen? My, my, my, all those soldiers, and he still isn't able to stop them from happening...Oh wait! What is this? He doesn't use Fire Nation soldiers?" She feigned a gasp. "What? He doesn't want innocent lives to be at stake? Wait, so how does he plan on winning the people to his side?"

Mai gritted down her teeth.

Azula closed her eyes. "I know, he can use his heart to win them all! Love shall conquer the day! Yes, he'll use rainbows and butterflies, and when he tries talking to them, he'll use his 'feelings' to get through to them. Oh, I can already see it now! They'll all-" As she began to open up her eyes, a shiny small projectile flew right for her. She only had a few seconds to react. She ducked backwards with the object barely scraping her nose. It landed on the wall behind her while she landed on her back. She grunted slightly. She stared aghast at the object stuck on the wall. It was one of Mai's knives. That would have really killed her if she hadn't dodged it in time. She glanced at Mai who had her arm pointed forward.

Ty Lee looked as shocked as she did. Azula used her hands to flip back onto her feet.

"Oops! Did that almost touth yo face? Oh, I am so sowwy." Mai placed her hands over her heart. "Could you eva fwind it in your heart to fowgive me?" Her childish accent only added on to Azula's bitterness. She stopped. "Oh, that's right. You don't have a heart. All you have is a black hole!"

Azula pointed a finger at her. "You want to do this? You _want_ to do _this_?!" She picked off the blade on the wall and pointed it out to her. "You think you can take _me_ on?!"

Mai prepared a few blades in her hand. "Any time, anywhere. You don't have your bending any more. Now, you're just too easy of a target."

Azula got into a fighting stance. "You guys..." Ty Lee laughed nervously. "This isn't really funny any more..." She tried interrupting but they both ignored her.

"I'll show _you_ easy!" Azula threw the blade at Mai who easily blocked it with one of her own.

"So...when does this fight actually begin?"

"It already ended!" She charged right for Mai. She tried landing a few kicks, but Mai dodged them all. She had gotten faster over the weeks. Mai tried striking back by swinging her blade at her. Azula ducked, weaved, and dodged. It looked like they were evenly matched.

_I'm losing my touch._ Azula swept the floor underneath her. Mai fell straight to the ground harshly. She looked up to see Azula about to perform a body slam on her with her right elbow. She rolled out of the way. Azula jumped up and brought her right elbow down hard aiming for Mai only to miss and hit the floor. She screamed and grabbed it to soothe away the pain. By then, Mai had already gotten up and withdrawn several blades to throw it at Azula. Her eyes widened in despair. One was thrown at her leg. She moved her leg to the side. Another was thrown at her head. She turned her head to the side and moved it to the left. A third was thrown at an arm. She moved her arm up. She narrowly escaped each blade aimed specifically for a body part.

She saw that Mai ran out of knives to throw, so while she was still lying on the ground, Azula used her feet to kick down her legs. Mai fell to the ground and saw Azula's foot about to land on her stomach. Mai caught hold of her ankle and tried pushing back. She reached into her clothing to find a knife tucked neatly away. She brought it out and sliced it at Azula's leg which produced several cuts. Azula stopped what she was currently doing to retreat. She flipped back up and did a couple of backflips to put enough distance between her and Mai.

She examined her leg. Three horizontal cuts decorated it through her pant leg which was ripped due to Mai's action. Mai was already up. She decided to use her secret weapon. She pulled the string to the metal contraption and several arrows came flying towards Azula. Azula wasn't sure of what to do. They seemed to come from every direction. How could she possibly avoid every single one of them? She moved back slightly and felt something by her foot. She looked down and saw her food tray. She was extremely lucky to have found it nearby. She stomped on it on the side to flip it into the air. She grabbed it with both hands and took aim for the arrows in front of her. Each landed on the tray scattered in different places.

Mai panted heavily. "That was just...pure dumb luck!"

Azula gasped for air as well. "Luck...has...nothing to...do with it!"

She dropped the tray and started running for Mai. But before she even moved her feet, right where she stood, Azula felt two fingers poke her legs several times in specific locations until finally they stopped. Azula lost control of her legs and dropped to the ground on her face.

Mai turned to Ty Lee who had done the damage. "Thanks, Ty." She began walking over to Azula, pulling out a knife. Azula looked up with her eyes widened in fear. However, Ty Lee jumped in front of Mai, blocking her path. In a flash, Mai watched helplessly as she took out the use of her arms. They fell limp to her sides. She stared at Ty Lee who was in her stance with two fingers poking out from each hand. Mai's arms felt numb. She couldn't feel them any more. Azula felt helpless lying on the floor. She couldn't move her legs. They were useless.

Mai was the first to speak. "Ty Lee, how could you?"

Ty Lee jumped back to the side. "How could I? How could _I_? How could _you_?"

Mai looked down at Azula who stared angrily back. She began walking over to where she lay. "Fine! I don't need my arms to take her out!"

"On the contrary, you'll need everything you have to even begin to keep up with me," replied Azula mockingly.

Mai attempted to kick Azula's face in, but Azula blocked each kick with her hands. The scene looked quite hilarious. One tried using their feet to fight, while the other, on the ground no less, tried slapping with their hands. The struggling almost made Ty Lee lose her mind. They were here to "talk" to Azula, not bash her in the face.

"Stop it!" yelled Ty Lee loudly. The echoes produced by the scream filled the cell. She jumped in between Mai and Azula to stop the ongoing battle.

Mai was pushed away. She glared at Ty Lee. "Why should I? So she can continue to mock Zuko?!"

Azula smiled and delivered a snide comment. "What? Mock him? I was only stating the facts, Mai." Mai winced when she said her name. "Zuko can't-"

"Azula, would you like to lose the use of your arms as well?"

Azula looked flabbergasted. Mai was taken aback by the threat Ty Lee just made.

"Maybe you should take out Mai's mouth," muttered Azula under her breath.

Ty Lee cupped a hand around her ear. "What was that?"

Azula lay her head down and looked to the side, staring at the wall. "No..."

Mai laughed mockingly. "Look who can't even move around any more. Yes, the great 'princess' Azula, lying helplessly on the floor!"

Ty Lee lifted a hand in the air. "Stop it, Mai. Sheesh, you know, why do I even bother?"

Mai became annoyed. "He saved your life! ...Ugh, I have no idea what he saw in you that made him do something so stupid!" She turned around to head for the exit. "That's it! I'm leaving! I'm not going to deal with her any more! This has gone on long enough!"

Ty Lee turned to look at Azula. "Hey...Look, Azula, you might not want to make fun of the Fire Lord like that..." Azula still had her head turned away, refusing to answer back. Ty Lee sighed. "Okay, fine...Your legs will be back to normal in a couple of hours. You'll be able to walk by then."

Ty Lee heard Mai clear her throat. She looked in her direction. Mai was still standing in front of the door staring at it. She turned to look at Ty Lee angrily. After a few seconds of figuring out what her problem was, Ty Lee laughed a little. "Oh, right. Sorry!" She ran up to the door and turned the knob. Her sudden change of mood wouldn't stop her from having a talk with Mai. They walked outside until they were out of Azula's hearing range. "Do I even want to ask what happened back there?"

Mai, while still walking, turned her head back. "Nope!"

"Hello? Remember the conversation we had earlier? You know, the one where you said you were 'confused' about all this?"

Mai shook her head and turned her head to look where she was walking. Her numb arms caused her posture to droop a bit. "Oh no, you misunderstand! I_ am_ trying to help her. _She _just doesn't want to accept it!"

"'How's your foot? Did I get it deep in there?' is your way of 'trying to help her'?"

They were almost near the exit. The captain came running up to perform his regular duties of dismissing someone of royal importance. "Fire Lady Mai, I-" But Mai just walked right past him bumping his shoulder a bit. The captain looked nervous.

Ty Lee decided to do the honors for her. "Everything's okay...I think. Oh, and don't be surprised when you go to check up on Azula in her cell."

The captain closed his eyes and sighed. "Not again..."

She shook her hands in the air. "No, it's fine! See, no one was hurt...severely. The Fire Lady, I'm sure, thanks you for all your support!" She smiled at him and afterwards caught up with Mai. The captain stared at the open door of Azula's cell, depressed that once again, Azula caused trouble with the Fire Lady. He sighed heavily and called over some of the guards. Hopefully, Azula wasn't going to try to attack them while they helped her out with her wounds that she probably _did_ receive.


	13. Emotional Uprising

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes:** Here's another chapter for today! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Red Bull: the solution for flying pigs…

**Chapter 13**

**Emotional Uprising**

"It's a wall…a-a special type of wall she uses for self-defense!"

"What wall Ty Lee?" Mai's face was scrunched up in a barely restrained fury. She tried lifting her arms, but it was no use. They were still numb.

"You know! A wall of emotion she hides behind!"

* * *

Azula laid flat on her stomach on the ground. Crying was something she was still getting used to, especially during all those times she had done it before in this new "home" she called her cell. The wall on her side became blurry. A small puddle was forming on the ground under her cheek. She didn't even attempt to wipe the tears away.

* * *

"Why Ty Lee?"

Ty Lee looked confused and surprised at the same time. She folded her arms and crossed her legs, looking up at Mai. "Why…what?"

"Zuko saved her life, and for that…she's not even thankful." Mai looked disappointed.

Ty Lee began fiddling with the end of her braid. "You think someone who _wanted_ to die and almost did _wanted _to be stopped?" Good question, so, it all boiled down to one thing…

"C'mon! You don't actually think she wanted to kill herself, do you?"

Ty Lee stood back up and stared out onto the sea. It looked blue, bluer than the sky. The sun reflected onto the surface. Sparkles decorated a few waves as they passed by. Just looking at it told Ty Lee that everything was going to be okay, at least, it was what her mind had kept on telling her. Having scattered nerves wasn't going to help her out one bit.

* * *

_Why didn't you stay? I needed you. Why couldn't you see right through my outer shell? Maybe if you had stayed and tried chipping at it… Mai, Ty Lee, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push both of you away! Please, come back. I need your help! I can't do this by myself. I don't want to be alone…no, not again. _Words like this could never be expressed through Azula's mouth. These were words that had decided to take up residence in her mind throughout the longest hour of her life. Lying on the floor waiting for hope to spring out of nowhere caused a whirlpool of emotions to crumble down her "mask." It was a mask that she had often worn when she fought others; it was a mask she put up after her mother had left; and it was one that had shown itself around her friends ever since she met them. She had tried keeping it up, but even attempting to do that was like trying to keep a flame burning alive during a storm. Every time she set it back up, it would always come tumbling back down the next day. The emotional burden of having to deal with her voices _and_ prison life was slowly eating away at her sanity and well-being. Suicide seemed like the only solution to her problems, and when she fell, she thought she had won. Apparently, Zuko can take away even _that _privilege.

She was still pondering why he would even give her a second thought and why he put her back in her old cell when the other one was what had kept her almost fully tamed. She couldn't escape from her voices, and she wouldn't be able to. Killing herself was an option that was taken away from her, and so, she relied heavily on her other hopes, but when they finally came to "talk" with her, she somehow managed to screw that up. Now she was wondering if she was ever going to live through this nightmare for another day when the next probably held no promise. Hope was an empty word that held no meaning for Azula. Instead, deep regret and confusion traversed the hallways of her mind, always on the lookout for the next memory in her life to drag it out into the light.

When Ty Lee threatened to attack her arms, Azula thought she was joking at first. However, when she looked into her eyes, something told a different story. She was being serious, and she wouldn't let anyone get hurt, especially not her friend Mai to whom she was loyal. Azula felt betrayed, but by then, she was already use to the rejection. Memories from what had between her, Ty Lee, and Mai on the platform near the lifts forced their way into her thinking. Emotions of depression, anguish, and betrayal rose from the depths onto the surface. These emotions were her only friends. They were the only ones that truly kept themselves close.

_What's wrong with me?_ She always thought that if she ever had the chance to go back to that precise moment, maybe she wouldn't have raised a hand against Mai. She would've wanted to prevent everything that's happened to her so far. Anything was better than _this_.

* * *

Ty Lee took in a deep breath and exhaled forcibly. "Yes, I do think that…Anything would seem like a temptation to end it all…even death."

* * *

Azula pushed her hands against the floor in front of her. Her face was still stained from the pain that had replayed in her mind and haunted her feelings. No matter what, she _was_ going to move her legs, whether they didn't want to comply or not. She was on her hands and knees. Some tears escaped from her closed eyes and dropped onto the floor. Some fell into the cracks and followed their pattern. She opened up her eyes to look down at her legs. The cuts stung from the coldness and dirt of the floor, but she ignored them. Nothing could compare to the regret and helplessness she was feeling right now. She wiggled one left and right, and then the other the same way. At least the numbness was dying down. She placed one leg in front of her in a kneel and pushed herself up with a hand leaning against that leg. They were wobbly, but she kept herself balanced. She tried walking to her bed. It was strange that no guard had come to help her. Did Mai and Ty Lee not tattle on their tortured friend? Oh well. She wouldn't need any help. She sat down and checked on her cuts. Since the numbness was starting to die down, she was beginning to feel the pain. They were still bleeding and the skin around them looked quite purplish. _They look infected_… She put a hand around them. She winced from the feedback that she felt when she made contact. She could have at least thanked Ty Lee for one thing: that she numbed them down for a while. In a way, that was a friendly sort of thing to do, but Azula didn't see it that way. She saw something entirely different. Through her eyes, she saw a backstabber.

A second passed by, and the door opened. The captain entered the room cautiously. He cleared his throat. "Your friend told me that you were hurt."

Azula's expression turned extremely annoyed when he said "friend." Like she considered them that anymore. He moved to the side to allow another to come in. It was a guard holding what looked like to be some type of medical kit. He walked on over to where Azula was sitting and bent down to examine every part of her body. "What…seems to be the problem?"

_Well, let's see…where should I start first? I was assaulted by the Fire Lady. I almost received a "puncture wound" in the middle of my forehead. My "friend" paralyzed my legs and left me on the ground to rot… Oh, the fun situations I get myself into… _She sniffled a bit and looked away when she noticed that she was still teary-eyed. "I…" What was the point of trying to resist? Her cuts looked pretty disfiguring thanks to the environment she was placed into, and trying to nag away someone who came to help her had nothing but needless consequences for her. She sighed and turned to look at him. "My…leg has cuts, as you can see," she said pointing to them with her hand.

"Ah, I _do_ see…" The guard, with probably the least medical experience in the world, pulled out a roll of gauze and started to unwind it. Hopefully, no infection was spotted on those cuts to cause Azula to worry about them in the future.

While the guard began wrapping up her leg, the captain looked at Azula strangely. This was a rare sight indeed. Personally, he had never seen her this vulnerable before. Sure, he always heard her cry and scream in the middle of the night, but seeing it with his own eyes was another different thing entirely. Her eyes were puffy and red, and the tip of her nose was as red as a cherry. She looked like she had been crying for a while.

"Okay," said the guard nervously as he finished the bandages with a knot. "That should do it." He got up and put the gauze back in his kit. "Is…that all?" She nodded at him.

Azula stared up at him trying to form the words "thank you" with her mouth, but nothing would come out. All she could do was stay silent. The guard nodded at her and turned to the captain. "Captain?"

The captain nodded in return "Dismissed. Get back to your post." He still stared at Azula who was now looking at her bandaged leg tugging on the knot.

"Yes sir." The guard turned and exited the room.

The captain continued to look for another few seconds until finally, he turned around to head for the exit. He stopped at the doorway. "I'm sure Fire Lady Mai and Lady Ty Lee were only trying to help you…For whatever reason you're angry with them, I think you should stop trying to reject their hospitality." He let that sink in for a few more seconds and then walked outside the cell closing the door behind him.

Azula stared at the door with her eyes wide open. Ty Lee was a little bit more believable, but Mai? …_Her_ showing compassion for Azula just didn't seem possible. _Maybe I'll start being nicer to her when she starts being nicer to me. _She stared back at the floor with her head in her hands. She grabbed a fistful of bangs and tugged on them. Waiting for a solution seemed pointless, and trying to take affirmative action herself, like ending her life, was blocked from her path. She wasn't sure of what she going to do except cry and scream and yell and kick, but none of those things provided a permanent solution. _Life down the road…I could die in prison from old age… _Her chances at having a better life were slim at best. If she continued to walk down this path, just what exactly _would_ her outcome be?

* * *

"…And so, I tell the guy, I says to him, 'Hey, you want some ice for that burn?'" The crowd laughed loudly. Some of the people around her had trouble holding their drinks because they were grabbing their stomachs from too much laughter. Everyone in the room looked well-dressed. Expensive gowns, silky robes; everywhere she turned around, she saw someone who was extremely rich. How could she tell? By the way they carried themselves and with what they wore. All the bright colors in the room threatened to make Mai sick. She didn't join in the laughter because something else was troubling her deeply. She sighed silently and looked down at her drink. She placed it into the air in the light to see the color. It was a dark, red kind of color. It was a special type of Fire Nation punch that contained no alcohol in it, yet it tasted quite fruity. Mai loved the taste of it, and that's why at social gatherings like these, she would always make a request to the chefs to make this particular kind of drink. That was why every time there was a party going on in the palace, these drinks would always be present. She was sure everyone loved it too, considering they all carried a cup full of it.

A passing waiter came by, and she placed her drink onto the tray he was holding. She looked around. There were a lot of people standing in groups talking to each other, but she was still able to spot Zuko. He wasn't that hard to find. He was in the biggest group of all right in the middle of the expansive room. People crowded around him to discuss what was going on with the peace negotiations, problems they were having in the cities, the riots, and things of that sort. It all looked very serious. Since her father regained his title of Governor of Omashu, he was standing in the crowd asking most of the questions. It was quite embarrassing. She gathered all the courage she'd need to stand his bombardment. Having your father talk to your boyfriend and possibly your husband-to-be wasn't exactly the most comfortable environment to be in, especially when he was the ruler of the entire nation.

People automatically made way for her when she walked towards his direction. "And how exactly do you plan on fixing the situation, Fire Lord Zuko?" she overheard her father say. She flinched noticeably when she heard his voice. She was wondering how Zuko was going to handle it.

She could clearly see Zuko now. He was wearing his traditional royal garments and crown. He looked like he was truly Fire Nation royalty. A smile formed across her face as she looked at him. She always thought he looked cute no matter what he wore, but it was just something about those robes and they way he looked professional that just appealed to Mai.

She walked into the side of the crowd and stared at her father and Zuko who were right smack-dab in the middle of it. "I understand your concern, Governor, but right now all our resources are being poured into the riots and the negotiations with the other nations...However, since you voiced your request with such severe worry, I'll make sure to send someone over as soon as possible. The wall _does _need fixing, but it shouldn't be a top priority right now. Everyone's at peace with each other. The war has ended. I don't think you have a lot to worry about…" After that last comment, a few guests laughed and the governor's face went slightly red.

"I was just…I was just voicing the concerns of the people of Omashu. But of course, if that is your plan, your highness, I am at least thankful that you took the time to listen." He bowed humbly and respectfully, but Zuko raised both of his hands in front of him.

He shook his head. "It's quite alright. You don't have to bow to me. I prefer that everyone be openly honest with me. So, please, whatever you're having trouble with, I will always be available to listen to your opinions." He said that to everyone. A few smiled and a majority clapped. "Thank you." Finally, he spotted Mai in the crowd and began walking over to her. Unfortunately, a few more individuals came running up to him to tell him about their problems. He rubbed the back of his neck to calm himself down. He lifted his shoulders in an "I don't know" gesture towards her. She immediately understood and nodded back. Well, he was the Fire Lord. She should have always expected him to be busy. She turned to her left to find her dad. By then, he had already walked out of the crowd. She threw him a look of pity when she walked up to him. "Hi dad," she greeted him with a small smile.

He turned around to look at who was speaking to him. He smiled a warm smile. "Mai?" They both exchanged a hug. "I…haven't seen you since you last left with your friend, the princess." She put down her arms and separated herself from the hug gently. The word "friend" was definitely not something that she'd use to identify Azula. He looked at her worriedly. "Wasn't she…imprisoned and sent to Boiling Rock?"

She looked to the side to avoid making eye-contact. "Uh…yeah…" It was the most awkward situation in the world. She smoothed a few wrinkles on her sleeve. She needed something, anything to say to stray from _that_ topic. "Um, so, like…how's Tom-Tom?"

He looked down at her strangely. "He's doing…good. But Mai, I've been hearing everyone calling you 'Fire Lady'...is this true?"

She nodded with her mood set back into bored. "Yes…"

He studied her questioningly. "But, isn't the Fire Lady usually _married _to the Fire Lord?"

She could already tell where this was going. She shook her head. "No…Well, I mean, yes, but me and Zuko aren't married, of course not…"

"Mind your manners, Mai. He's the Fire Lord. The title must always accompany the name."

She laughed a little. "Dad, it's okay. In fact, he kind of hates the title. He thinks it makes him sound…unapproachable. All he really wants to do is help everyone out!"

"I see." He folded his arms and stared at Zuko for a bit, then he turned to look at Mai. He held open his arms. "Well, I'm just happy to see you again." They hugged one more time.

She placed her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, me too." That sounded familiar. Where did she hear that from?

_Yeah, me too._

"_What about you?"_

"_Yeah, me too…"_

Her promise. How could she have forgotten?

There it was again. It felt like incompletion and failure all mixed together into one big mass of emotion. It was the feeling of the week: regret.

* * *

Azula didn't like what she was feeling. She rubbed her stomach to make it go away, but it just wouldn't leave. It felt funny, and it didn't belong there. Was it sorrow? Was it anger? No. It was regret. She lightly punched the wall with her left fist and stared out the window watching the moon. It was just the perfect time of night where the moon could be seen through it because of its position in the sky. Tonight was special. It was full. _I bet those waterbenders are having a blast._ She stood back up and in act of rebellion to life, she got into her firebending stance. She focused on the wall in front of her. She controlled her breathing. She couldn't feel anything inside, but maybe, just maybe, it would work this time. The motions felt familiar. She was used to them, and that in itself comforted her. Her feet began to move, and her hands followed the usual motions. Her right fist broke out in front of her slicing the air. No flame. She kicked the air. Nothing. She performed a few more punches and kicked the air twice. Still no results. She felt no heat. The cold was starting to seep in through the window. She shivered from its touch.

_Of course not…_ What was the point? The Avatar had effectively cut her off from her powers. _Well, if he could get rid of them, I'm sure he could put them back…_

She closed her eyes and thought back to that exact moment.

* * *

_FLASHBACK_

"_It's your choice to make, Zuko. I'll only do it if you want me to…"_

_In the background, Azula tried struggling free. She knew little about what fate had in store for her. When her brother had returned with the Avatar and his gang, her anxiety level rose exponentially. She wasn't exactly sure of what they were going to do to her, but she didn't want to stick around to find out either. However, the chains that Katara had placed onto her wrists were locked on tight. She just couldn't get herself free. Scorch marks were marked on the floor as a result from her struggling while firebending at the same time. That wasn't a good idea because some of those times, she had nearly burned herself. She had to think of something else and quick._

_Zuko nodded. She looked at him with terror written all over her face and a racing heart beating rapidly in her chest. "Okay." He looked at her for a moment. Azula looked like she was ready to kill with the angry face she held. She wanted desperately to be let free only so she could run to him and kill him where he stood. She got up and pulled with all her might. Her pulling would've caused her arms to be dislocated if she had continued. Luckily, she stopped right away as soon as she saw Aang walk over to her._

_Everyone that surrounded her paid her feelings no mind. They all stared in an angry awe. This was their enemy: the one that had been chasing them for practically over a year. They wouldn't begin now to show her any compassion. In fact, in their minds, they were smiling to themselves. They had finally won. Watching the princess fall reassured their victory. All with blank expressions on their faces, Katara, Suki, Toph, and Sokka stared at Azula who was still chained to the grating, waiting for the big event that was about to take place._

_Aang finally reached her. He placed his hands on top of her shoulders to force her back down. She was kneeling right in front of him. Toph behind him had bended a few rocks around her shoulders to keep her that way. She was trapped, and she was vulnerable to anything he was going to do to her. Aang let go and tried controlling his breathing. She stared up at him thinking that this was it: this was the end for her. Her heart pounded faster and faster waiting for whatever he had planned for her. He placed a hand over her heart and the other hand on her forehead. Her heart was beating so quickly, she could practically hear it in her ears. Dread overwhelmed her emotions. He opened his eyes. Slowly, his arrows and eyes began to glow a powerful light blue. Everything else slowly faded into the distance…_

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

Unfortunately, a few seconds after she felt him place a hand over her head, her vision went white. The next thing she knew, she was lying in _this_ cell all by herself. She woke up with a dizzying headache and no powers to accompany her for the night.

At that precise moment, it did feel like life had ended for her. She had no bending, and all of her privileges were taken away. She didn't receive her throne, and her brother had stolen everything from her. She had nothing. She _did_ gain a few new things, however: her voices and a "comfortable" cell all to herself. Lucky her… Only this time, her luck ran out.

It was her life, or something like it…and she wanted it back. She needed it back. She craved it desperately. She had taken it for granted, and that was a big mistake. Maybe she should start making some changes, rearrange things. Maybe she should start being more trusting of others and let her guard down more often so people would start treating her more nicely. And, at the very least, maybe she should start showing her friends some respect… Since pride seemed to be Azula's kryptonite, those goals sounded pretty tough. They set the bar way up there. But, Azula would have to do _something_ to get things back on track, or at least try to get her life reorganized.

There was still one thing that confused her… _And just exactly how am I going to do that?_ She was pretty sure that Mai and Ty Lee weren't going to come back. She didn't blame them. Who would want to talk to the person that had nearly killed them with her bare hands? _No, wait...Why should I be placing all the blame on myself? Mai attacked first…_But that was just the type of thing that Azula was trying to provoke out of her. Still, if that knife had made contact…

Azula lay down on her bed and looked up at the moon to calm her mind. Tonight was one of those rare nights when she wasn't able to hear her other voices, and for that, she was thankful, but something even worse plagued her mind and senses.

* * *

Mai walked out into the courtyard that was located right in the middle of the entire palace. It was decorated with a huge fountain, a bush maze, and a few bush sculptures. She found a bench to sit on to do some meditating. Silence and the chirping of a few bugs nearby occupied the empty courtyard. It looked beautiful in the moonlight, and that was why she came out there away from the party. Her father had already left, but Zuko was still busy talking to the other guests. His kindness would always find some time for the people he was trying to protect, especially the citizens of the Fire Nation.

Mai sighed and sat down to look up at the moon. _Hey, it's full tonight…_ That slightly eased the worry off her mind, but the thoughts would always be there.

"_How's your foot? Did I get it deep in there?"_

"_Oh, that's right. You don't have a heart…"_

She shook and grabbed her head. How could she have _said_ those things? She took out one of her polished knives and examined it in the dim lighting. She remembered how it almost, _almost_, found its way through Azula's head. Now she regretted everything she had ever done in that cell.

She promised to help Zuko and what does she end up doing? She nearly killed the person she promised to help. She had wondered. Did Ty Lee feel like this too? Was she feeling the exact same guilt as Mai was right now?

She searched her clothing for another item. She finally found it and took it out. She felt its papery texture on her fingertips. It was Azula's diary. This one particular item had gotten her into this whole ordeal. She felt all these feelings because of this one tiny thing. If she had never accidentally found it in the library, she probably wouldn't have gotten herself into this mess. She thought carefully. Has anything _good_ come out from finding this scroll? She couldn't remember any such thing happening. So…it only brought despair in her life. Like its owner? She shook her head once more and tightly gripped the scroll in both hands. _No, that's wrong of me to think…_ Obviously, Mai was having a hard time letting go of her bitterness. _But she locked us up and threatened to kill me. How can I forgive that? _Maybe she wouldn't have to. She'd just have to let time and effort work its magic. She got back up and walked inside the palace.

* * *

A loud banging noise…or was it? Her senses were coming back to her as she woke up in the middle of her dream. She got into a sitting position on her bed._ Did I hear…a loud knocking noise in my dream? Well, that's a first… _Then she heard it again. It was coming from the door. She rubbed her eyes and slightly yawned. "What?"

The door immediately opened up and two guards invaded the room. The captain wasn't very far behind. "We're locking you up in the chains. I don't want to hear a bit of complaining coming out of you. If you behave and try not to resist, this will only take a few seconds." The guards walked up to her slowly. Surprised, she jolted up from her bed. _Am I still dreaming?! _She pinched herself to check. _No…this is real…_

Each guard grabbed an arm and pulled her against the wall of her cell to where the chains were. She tried struggling free. "This is…insane! What did I do?!" They placed chains on her ankles and wrists.

The captain lifted a finger to his mouth. "Quiet. Unless you'd like to spend some time back in your old 'room.'" Shock attacked her emotions crazily. What should she do? This was all happening too quickly… Still, it was her chance to make a small difference on her choices. This was probably nothing more than a safety precaution for them anyways.

She regained control of her mouth and closed it. She nodded her head.

The captain smiled. "Good. Trust me. We wouldn't be doing this if you hadn't done what you did earlier…"

_What I did earlier?_ So, they did tell. She wasn't really surprised. They weren't her friends anymore.

The guards finished chaining her to the wall. She sank to the floor and hugged her legs close.

The captain signaled for one of the guards to follow him while he told the other to stay. Although he looked a bit reluctant, the guard obeyed and stood next to Azula facing the entrance.

The captain and the guard walked outside and closed the door. It was overwhelmingly awkward to say the least. The guard stayed as quiet as she did. Azula had no idea what was going on. Was that all? Were they finished, and they just left like that? No, because a guard was still here. Unless, this was a new procedure they developed to keep her tamed. What could possibly be going on?

"Right, of course. This is it…If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to ask right away, your highness."

The knob started to turn. _Zuko?_ Possibly. Maybe he was coming to visit her to tell her that what she said to Mai hurt her feelings. Azula laughed mockingly in her mind. _Surprise, surprise…_

It opened, and Azula saw a dark silhouette at the entrance. The light left little green dots in her vision, and she had trouble adjusting her eyes to it. She lifted a hand to block it out while she squinted. "Who's there?"

It was quiet for a few minutes. Azula began wondering if this person was ever going to talk. Finally, as if ending a dramatic pause, she heard them speak once again.

"Azula…I just came to apologize…"

* * *

**Sorry this took longer than usual. Hope you all enjoyed it! Few quick questions for you all: 1.) What superhero was referred to in this story? (Wink wink) and 2.) Can anyone find the line from a certain song in here? (Hint: It's the first line of a paragraph.) I dunno. I'm not keeping track of points. It's just fun to leave in a little stuff here and there in these chapters. I'll congratulate you on the next chapter. XD Next chapter: We find out who the mysterious person is. Hope all you know who…**


	14. Healing

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes: **Congratulations to the people who tried and even succeeded in answering the questions! Applaud, people!

insanehouseaddict: And you were right! You will see in the next chapter! :D

TrueThinker: Ha. Almost, almost…

Elenar Thorn: Superhero…. (ding ding ding ding) Correct! Good job!

razzledazzle41191: Thank you! How come no one knows the song? But, yes on the superhero…

You guys, the superhero was the easy one…No one seriously knew the song?

Superhero: Superman (Azula's kryptonite)

Line: _It was her life, or something like it…and she wanted it back. _"Sometimes Your Best Isn't Good Enough" by the Churchills. Remember the MTV show Juvies? The theme song? So good…But, apparently not that well known. Check it out if you haven't heard it. It's awesome!

**Chapter 14**

**Healing**

"Who's there?" Her hand kept her visitor out of her line of vision as she tried keeping the light out of her eyes. Azula wasn't sure of what to make of the situation placed in front of her. Someone came to visit her? Again? But, why? Well, whoever it was, she was going to make sure that she gave them a piece of her mind for waking her up. Being attacked by a couple of guards wasn't exactly the best greeting in the world, especially when it entailed her getting chained up to the wall. She waited impatiently for their response as her annoyance rose steadily. _This isn't a zoo… so stop gawking!_

"…Azula…I just came…to apologize…"

_No. Absolutely not! No way! Get out! Get out of here!_ Alas, if only her mind had a mouth of its own…She slowly brought her hand down. Her eyes adjusted to the radiance of the outside, but unfortunately, they weren't prepared enough to take in the sight that had stood before her. She had least expected _her _to even have the gall to come back here. _Has she come for a little payback? _Her mouth failed to utter a single word. Azula rose to her feet.

"…Okay," was, oddly enough, the only thing that came to mind. She needed to get a grip on her speaking abilities.

Mai looked confused but kept her composure. "Huh? Okay?"

"I mean…" Azula struggled to find the exact words to express what she was feeling. "Come back to…finish the job?" That didn't sound as insulting as she wanted it to be.

It felt weird talking to Azula without a tone of sarcasm in her voice, but Mai needed to release her burden if she was ever going to forgive herself and keep her promise. With a small audience watching and most likely hearing what they were saying, the tension in the cell multiplied. That and, she noticed that Azula was placed in chains. _Maybe…because of me?_ _Great._ It was one more thing to make Mai feel even worse about herself. Well, she _did_ want to help Azula…

"Captain?"

The captain walked up to Mai. "Yes, milady?"

She stared at Azula sympathetically. "I would like to make a request."

"Uh, yes?" The captain became nervous.

"Please remove those chains from off of her." It was short, sweet, and to the point.

He looked at the Fire Lady as if she had just completely lost her mind. Remove her chains? And then what? Let Azula attack her _again_? If he didn't comply, he would be feeling the pain of his consequences later on. If he did, he'd feel even worse because he allowed Azula to attack the Fire Lady, if and most likely when she did. The captain was having a hard time making his decision. He wasn't sure of what to do. He had to think of something quick, maybe tell her what was on his mind.

He leaned in closer to her so that they were within whispering range of each other. "Ummm, milady?"

Mai turned her head in his direction. She kept a serious expression on her face. "What?"

"Um…I don't think that's such a good idea…"

In a state of interest, Mai turned her entire body so that now they were both facing each other. "Are you…questioning my authority?" she asked with her arms folded.

He quickly jumped on the rebound. "No, of course not, your highness…I was just…caring for your safety." He mouthed the word "safety" so that Azula wasn't able to hear it. She would be able to see it, but he didn't really think of that.

Azula _did _see it. She didn't have to be a lip reader to know exactly what he was trying to convey to Mai. However, she would have to play dumb for now. Playing innocent just might increase her chances of getting these things off of her. Then, once they _did_ take them off, she'd make her move.

"_I don't think you should…"_

_What?! _She hadn't heard that particular voice in a long time. It felt almost comforting in a way.

"_Mom's dead. And besides, nothing will ever change the fact that Mai and Ty Lee took advantage of your trust…"_

_No_. Every time she felt confused and terrified, they would always come back to reason with her, especially the voice that was talking to her right now.

"_Am I not right? Will you follow your conscience and play nice with your friends while they continue to make a mockery out of you…or will you follow me and cast your vengeance on those who took everything away from you so that they will all know that you are someone to not take lightly?"_

It was a tough call. She thought she had a handle on her voices, but apparently, she didn't. Would they always be living in her mind popping out every so often if only to make her life a little more miserable? Azula couldn't focus very well. She slid back down to the floor and leaned her back against the wall.

"I…don't think I have a lot to worry about…I think something…might have changed, I'm not sure, but it's worth a try." Mai was partly referring to herself, although, she did notice that Azula seemed…different somehow.

"_Does violence end suffering?"_

_No…I can't…I don't know, I don't know! _She stared paralyzed at the floor.

He gulped loudly. "As you wish, Fire Lady Mai." He signaled for the two guards to undo the chains. They bowed in response and walked over to where she sat. As they bent down to take off the chains starting with her wrists, she paid little attention to what they were doing. She felt each arm being pulled into the air by a hand from a guard, but she still continued to look intently onto the floor. Her eyes followed the grain of the bricks. _Why do they still care about me? _Her arms dropped loosely to her sides, as the guards took hold of the chains that were placed around her ankles. Brick, cement, brick, cement; she subconsciously began counting how many bricks the floor was comprised of. Daydreaming into the distance, her mind was brought to a thought of revolution.

Seconds passed by, and the guards, now finished with their task, walked up to the captain. As Mai awkwardly stared at Azula who kept her head down with her knees close by, the captain made the decision of interjecting himself into her attention. "Task completed, milady. You may continue…" The way he phrased it seemed too formal. Peculiarly, the captain and his two subordinates stood behind her feeling discomfited. She had to phrase her words appropriately by some means in order to not make herself look like a fool. Her thought process organized her actions into different steps. First, she would try to start the conversation off with a little greeting, because she didn't exactly count their little exchange at the doorway a proper salutation. Second, the hardest part in her opinion, she would get all of the problems between them out in the open. Third, and lastly, she would try devising a plan of mending their broken friendship, or what was left of it at least. She was going to attempt to stick by these three steps as closely as possible. They were her outline to follow in case she ever found herself confused or lost. Of course, these steps didn't exactly have the answers to every situation that could possibly happen. She just hoped that it would be easy as it was making that plan.

Unsure of how to start it off, she took one step closer to Azula casting a shadow over her. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat. "Um, hi Azula…How are you?" That could not have been any more wrong of a question to ask. Where did that come from? Ty Lee? It didn't matter, because now, she kind of winced in embarrassment. In spite of this, Azula sustained her hunched posture. With not even so much as an "I hate you" back, the former princess kept her gaze on the floor, looking a bit dazed. Mai was taken aback by her response. She kind of missed hearing those threats since at least it let Mai know that she was getting back to normal. Looking at Azula told her that something wasn't all right in Azula's world. Then again, Mai always thought that about her. She could feel the tension in the air. In fact, it was so thick, she could have cut with a knife. Her embarrassment only doubled when she thought of who else was in the room along with her. She turned around and stared at the captain who had has arms folded. "Umm, could you maybe...leave, like right now?"

He shook his head. "Your protection is my top concern. I can't...leave you alone with her..." She could tell that he was worried about saving his own skin rather than protecting her life.

"You can leave, and it'll be of no consequence. This is my command...as the Fire Lady. You said I _could_ ask you for anything...Well, this is my request." It was already awkward enough trying to talk to Azula nicely. With them in the room, awkwardness knew no bounds. If they left, it would be whole lot easier for her _and _Azula, she was sure of it.

He hesitated for a moment and glanced at both guards and then at Mai. "Right...but, if anything goes wrong, please, do not hesitate to...ask for assistance." He bowed.

"Thank you," she replied kindly.

The captain turned and, followed by the two other guards, exited the cell closing the door but not all way. It was still slightly ajar, but she didn't care. As long as they couldn't overhear their conversation, Mai became a lot more relieved. She turned around and took a few seconds to reorganize her scattered thoughts. "So, here we are..." Azula still remained in her closed-in position. Mai sighed and walked to her makeshift bed. She slowly sat down and crossed her legs.

_"They're gone. Time to choose."_

_"Choose correctly, Azula." _she heard her mother say.

"...I guess you're wondering why I'm here..." She stared off into the distance. "Well, as I said earlier, I apologize...for everything I said to you earlier..." She still heard no response, so she continued. "I know you probably hate me...especially after what Ty Lee and I did at the lifts, but we're here now, to help you...Azula, I'm not sure what's going on through your mind right now, but...please, you have to tell us..."

_Why? _Nothing came out of her mouth.

In Azula's mind, there were two doors. One led to nothing but pain and suffering, while the other held joy, happiness, and healing. All her life, she had stood in front of the first one. Her life was miserable, and she was beginning to wonder if that existence was worth living. Slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the mire that she and her father had created, Azula never thought twice about giving in. She never thought about accepting what her friends were trying to offer her because she thought that _they_ were the ones who were delusional. Could it be that all this time, _she _was the one who was deluded?

"We care about you Azula: me, Ty Lee, _and_ Zuko." She wasn't entirely sure about herself since she didn't really feel any heavy remorse, but she was sure that Ty Lee and Zuko _did_ care for her. She closed her eyes and continued with where she was was going with this. "That's why Zuko came to rescue you. He did that because he's still worried about you. It's why Ty Lee wanted to come here earlier today...and it's why I'm here now."

Azula felt her eyes become wet. Tears were starting to resurface. Why did she have to make her think about that?

"I'm not going to lie to you...I thought you were a conniving, selfish, spoiled little brat who would cry every time she didn't get her way." She checked to make sure if _that_ had inspired a response from Azula. Still, she did nothing. "And then I thought that ever since you got here, you kept on acting that way, and the results were something that you deserved."

Anger, guilt, and depression overwhelmed her being. Azula tried forcefully stopping her tears from coming out, but it was useless. Every time a new thought would appear in her head that would start to make her feel even more saddened by it all.

"You can't hide anything physical Azula. I saw the bruise marks you carried, and the bandages you wore...I even caused one of them, which I'm sorry for, by the way." As if things couldn't get any more awkward between them, what Mai had just said made her feel uncomfortable. She exhaled to try to ease some of it away. "But, um...you tried doing something that I _never_ thought you would ever do in a million years near the lifts. When you jumped off the railing, I really didn't know what to think."

She heard a slight whimper escape her mouth. "I..."

Surprised, Mai stood back up and stared down at her. "What?" she asked to urge her to continue. "It's okay. You can say whatever you want." With nothing else added to Azula's statement, Mai impelled her to go on. "Please. Just say whatever you were going to say."

"I'm sorry...I think..."

Mai stared inquisitively. "You think?"

Azula took the opportunity to look up at her. She nodded without a hint of fury or patronization splayed across her face. Mai's heart stopped when she looked at her. The fear and confusion that she saw written on Azula's face revealed itself in her look. It was like she was piercing her in the heart with her own gaze. She noticed that Azula had tears streaming down her face, and her eyes were red from them. She had no clue that she could have looked like _this_ in her entire lifetime. Something caught on Mai's throat and she began coughing keeping her eyes closed and her mouth covered with her hand. It had taken a while for Mai to clear her throat, but eventually, her coughs swelled down enough for her to force them to stop. She grabbed her throat. "I'm sorry...I-" She turned to look at Azula who was now standing up against the wall. Taken by surprise, Mai took a step back. "Are you-"

Azula quickly interrupted her. "You're sorry?" she had asked in response. Mai kept silent but nodded politely. "You're..._sorry_?" Mai just stared at her waiting for her to let out all that she wanted to say. Azula pointed a finger down to her bandaged leg. "Then...why did you do _this_?" Mai glanced at the bandages wrapped around her left leg. She searched her memory. That was the leg that she had tried cutting up with her knives earlier today. Disappointed with her previous actions, she looked away from her eyes. "You _wanted_ to kill me earlier today!" Azula's angry scowl was one that looked familiar in her expression.

"I know! And...I'm really sorry for that." She rubbed the back of her neck. "In fact, you don't have to forgive me for that. I don't deserve that from you..." She truly felt remorseful now. "But, I thought about it, and, well...I guess I _am _trying to find forgiveness from you."

_"What did I tell you? Her apologies are nothing but empty. So?"_

_"How do you know that? She could be truly regretful..."_

_"How about, Zuko forced her to be here, so nothing is real. Don't believe a word she says. Lies. They're nothing but lies..."_

"You're lying...You don't really mean all that," said Azula coldly.

Mai winced from her statement. "No, I really _do_ mean it. I'm truly sorry..." She had hoped that her pleading would convince her enough to calm down.

_"And you're just supposed to take it at face-value?"_

_"Yes because you know that deep down, you believe her..."_

Why couldn't her voices just leave her alone?

"Azula, I know why you're in pain. I know why you're suffering, and I know why you're like this...It's because of the way you were raised."

Azula covered her ears to block out the "preaching."

Mai felt the diary within her clothing. However, she kept it our of Azula's sight. "You had a horrible childhood where you were only taught how to fight your whole life...and I'm not sure, but I think you were abused by your father...I understand."

_No, you don't!_

"You turned out the way you did because you were _used_ by him..."

"No..." muttered Azula.

Mai nodded. "You thought that he 'loved' you when in reality he saw you as a tool for his own gain..."

"That's not true," Azula said a little louder.

"He didn't...He doesn't now, and he never will..."

Her crying resumed its course as more tears fell straight to the ground. She sniffled like crazy. "I don't believe you!"

Taken aback, Mai gathered the guts to say more. "Is that why you want to end it all? Do you think that you've been living a lie? ...Don't tell me that you were _happy_ with the way your life turned out..." Suddenly, a scream rung throughout the entire cell.

"Shut up!" Mai noticed a fist head directly for her face. She may have been quick, but she wasn't _that_ quick. She couldn't really do anything to defend herself other than close her eyes tightly. She squeezed them shut and waited for it to land on her nose. When nothing happened, she began to worry. Just then, she felt a palm slap against her cheek then a stinging warm sensation right after. She opened her eyes and noticed that Azula had her hand open in front of her. She grabbed her burning left cheek as a tear reciprocated from her eye. Why did she just slap her? Wasn't she just about to bash her face in? She couldn't really decide if she should have been relieved or angry about what she did. She stared at Azula stupefied with her eyes wide open.

Azula gave in to her sorrow and closed her eyes. She dropped down to the ground on her knees and grabbed her head in frustration. She allowed her depression to engulf her emotions. Wailing wildly, Azula touched her head with the floor. It felt cold upon its touch, but she could've cared less. What Mai had just explained to her had affected her deeply. No amount of persuasion from her voices could have brought her out of this rut.

Mai felt uneasy about the scene that had played itself in front of her. She guessed that she did deserve that slap to the face for all the things that she did to her. She awkwardly stared down at the crying heap lying in front of her unsure about the next step that she should take. She bent down ignoring her still throbbing cheek, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's...okay." With her hands covering her face, Azula tried convincing herself that none of this was real. It was just an illusion; a dream or a nightmare that in any minute now she was going to wake up from. How could Mai comfort her from her grief? She wasn't sure, but she didn't really expect for _this _to happen. She would apologize one more time. "I'm sorry." But all the sorries in the world would not be able to magically fix up the deep deep tear in their friendship. However, maybe if she had allowed time to do the fixing for her, everything would be back to normal. She would be different, but just how long would it take for the healing to finish? How many more visits did it require for Azula to be emotionally free?

Azula felt her hand and viciously swatted it away. Mai retracted it back. Azula's face was terribly tear-stained and her nose was unusually red. "Get away from me!" she yelled as she pushed herself against the wall as far away from Mai as possible. In this nightmare, Mai was the monster that had chased her throughout her entire mind. She was the one that Azula had despised ever since that fateful day near the lifts of this prison. She would _never_ forgive her for what she did to her then, and she would never forgive her for what she just said now.

Mai tried explaining herself. "But, I-"

"Get out! Get out, get out now!" she screamed at her. "I hate you! I _hate_ you! Why are you doing this to me?!" She once again buried her face in her hands. Her ferociousness scared Mai a bit. She had wanted to stay and try to fix everything that had ruined everything between them to turn over a new leaf, but it looked like that that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Holding her gaze at Azula for a minute longer, she shook her head in discontentment. She turned around and exited the cell. She closed the door behind and leaned her back against it. She slid slowly to the floor still hearing Azula's cries of pure agony emanating from within the cell. A few guards had stared at her strangely, but she didn't pay any attention to them. All she could think about was what a failure she felt like. She couldn't repair the current situation, and she would never be able to. At least, that's what she kept on telling herself. How was she ever going to help Zuko if she couldn't help Azula? Could she get through to her? From what had happened just now, she concluded that this mission was an absolute and total failure, and that Azula, who had now loathed her even more, would never see things differently. As despondency slowly crept its way into Mai's mind, Mai felt a tear of her own trickle down her cheek. She shook her head and wiped it away while she got back up. The note that their conversation had ended on was _not_ a pleasant one. It was something that would plague Mai's mind for the rest of her life if she chose to end her attempt at fixing Azula right then and there. Slowly but surely, Mai headed for the lifts.


	15. Day of Atonement

**Once Burned**

**Author's Notes: **Long update, yes, I know. But, hey, what're you gonna do when you have homework and papers _and_ writer's block to worry about? Well, I know how this story's going to end. I'm just not sure how to get there. Surprise, surprise…

**Disclaimer: **I do not "claim" to own this story….Umm…."er…" I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the characters mentioned in this story. Well, some, but just the less-important ones, like city-dweller #45 and green bush #3…

I dunno. This chapter has a different feel to it than all the other ones. I'm not sure. That's just my opinion… Well, enjoy!

**Chapter 15**

**Day of Atonement**

"Come on, answer the question."

"Come on, answer it…"

"I…I don't know…I…" Second after second, Zuko's face would progressively scrunch together in aggravation. He was having an incredibly difficult time searching for the right words to express his feelings. It was a wonder he was able to get thus far. He grabbed the sides of his head trying hard to keep focus.

It was almost as if he did _not_ want to say what he was trying to say which of course wasn't the case, but Azula assumed that was what Zuko's problem was. She gave him a curious, annoyed look that would have told anyone that she was getting impatient. She _always_ got what she wanted even when it came to her brother. Just look at where they were now! However, Azula was having trouble accepting the fact that Zuko was _not_ answering the question, so, to urge him forcefully along, she noticeably folded her arms and groaned heavily. "Zuko, just answer the-" And she wasn't about to like this next part either.

Zuko spun around to meet her annoyed look with one of his own angrier, "don't-bother-me!" looks. All of a sudden, he dropped his hands down and clenched them tightly into fists. His fierce scowl took even Azula aback, but she wasn't one to put her emotions on display. Therefore, her face remained blank but her heart rate still went up. "I'm angry at myself!" yelled Zuko. Flames from the fireplace in the middle of where they had decided to sit broke out into even stronger ones. Azula could feel the intensity of the heat brush up against her face.

Sparks flew into the air and floated lazily along the wind's path. When a few had touched Zuko, he had noticed that his anger allowed his powers to get out of hand. He felt that he shouldn't have done that, yet it was something that he needed to get off his chest at the same time. He watched as the fire died down to nothing but ashes. A calm had swallowed up their surroundings. To break the silence, Azula chose to question his doubt. "Why?"

By then, Zuko was staring out onto the sea. Waves rolled and crashed onto the shoreline, and the mist carried by the wind helped to cool down not only his sweat but his temper as well. "Because I'm confused. Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore," he argued expressively. He wasn't hoping they'd understand. In fact, he was expecting the complete opposite from them, especially Azula. He knew they wouldn't, but he didn't care at all. He just needed to voice what was bothering him.

"You're pathetic," replied Azula insultingly. Azula understood all right; she just wasn't the caring sister that Zuko had wished for back when he was seven.

"I know one thing I care about…" Azula's head turned to Mai. "I care about you…" said Mai to Zuko affectionately. Just before they were about to share a kiss, Azula rolled her eyes. She was tired of watching this little dramatic movie play out in front of her every day. It made her sick to her stomach. She had to stop herself from gagging.

Mai and Zuko parted, and Azula took the time to interrupt. "Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone," she sarcastically added as she clapped her hands slowly. "Give yourselves a round of applause." Absurdly, she started moving her clapping hands in a circle to represent "a round."

"I guess you wouldn't understand would you, Azula?" he asked keeping an arm around Mai's shoulder. Azula immediately stopped her clapping. "Because you're just so perfect."

To add to the humor, she smiled widely. What kind of question was that? Of course she was perfect! At least, that's how she saw herself; she wasn't exactly sure how everyone else saw her. In her mind, she was the very definition of "perfection." In fact, if a child were to come up to her asking her what the word "perfect" meant because they didn't know, she'd answer, "Well, it means _me_, of course!" That was presupposing that children even _did_ approach Azula. Personally, she hated them, but back to the topic at hand… "Well, yes, I guess you're right!" She gazed up at the black star-lit sky in thought. She really had to ponder if this question even applied to her. "I don't have sob stories like all of you…" Her mother had popped into her head, and she freaked out a little. Where in the world did that come from? She wasn't exactly aware of it then, but her mouth was expressing her thoughts. "I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me…" Her attention was brought to what she was currently spouting off from the top of her head, and she panicked a bit. "…But I don't really care," she said hurriedly to cover up for her previous statement. Then she really had to think. Did she really _not_ care? And, why was it the first thought to pop into her head? "My own mother... thought I was a monster…" She was doing it again. Her mouth was saying things that she didn't intend for to be said. This wasn't the right Azula. Where was the one who kept things all bottled up inside where no one would be able to reach them? The randomness of it all surprised her to say the least. Once again, embarrassment and regret for what she had just said took over her actions. "She was right, of course, but it still hurt…" There! That would surely play it off like it was nothing, right?

Her eyes laid rest on Mai and Zuko and then switched to Ty Lee for a few seconds. This might have been the first time in a long time that she actually cared about what others thought of her. Azula didn't want to show other people her "emotional" side. That entire thing that she just said was unexpected. Now she wished that she hadn't said anything. Lucky for her, they didn't seem to care. Zuko stared at her as if she was crazy, but that was the usual look she got from him. _Good. I have nothing to worry about, right? I just lost it because everyone expected me to say something, so I did. What do they want from me: a biography? Let's just hope my journal doesn't become open to the public, which reminds me…I really need to burn that thing…_

"Azula."

Looking up from staring at the sand, she examined each of them expecting to find the person who had called her name. Not another word was said. All of them looked quite morose. The scene felt quite odd actually. There was something weird going on here, but she just couldn't place a finger on it. "What?" asked Azula losing her patience.

Mai, Zuko, and Ty Lee each looked up from their daydream to stare at her. No one said a word. They were all eerily silent: no mouths moved, not a foot made a sound, nothing! She couldn't even hear the wind, which had been barely gusting continuously, anymore. Calling it strange would have been an understatement. _What the heck is going on? _"Who said my name?"

For Mai to be looking at her like she was now was completely normal because she always did that, but for Zuko and Ty Lee to stare at Azula with those same blank expressions on _their_ faces unnerved her quite a bit. They looked like zombies. Azula felt disturbed. "What?!"

"Azula." It sounded like it was coming from behind her.

She spun around to spot the culprit, but, oddly enough, no one was there. All she saw behind her was a hill of jagged rocks that led back up all the way to Chan's beach house. Losing her nerves was one thing she couldn't allow herself to do, yet she was doing it anyways. Who was calling her name? "Who's there?" She stood up. "Show yourself!" she yelled out into the distance. Cancelling out the possibility of either her friends or her brother to be the ones who were trying to call her, she tried figuring out who the owner of this "mysterious" voice was.

She turned around to seek advice from the others. "Did you hear that?"

Still, no response. It was like they were stuck in "zombie" mode. They looked completely normal; it was what they were doing that baffled her. With their expressionless faces, they continued to stare at her until she got tired of it. "What's going on?" she asked to herself more than to the rest.

"Azula, wake up…"

_Wake up?_

Once more, Azula twisted herself around hoping to finally catch whoever was calling her. What she saw next dismayed her to the point where she was now thoroughly confused. She thought she had an inkling before about what was going on, but now, she was literally "lost in the dark." She was in a cell in the middle of the night with frigid temperatures invading the small space. She looked down. No longer was she wearing her bathing suit and towel, but a red prison uniform complete with several rips and dirt spots everywhere on her pants. Along with the uniform came numerous goose bumps on her arms right after a cold breeze had flown by. She began to shake uncontrollably from the wintry weather. "What…happened?" she asked aloud, shivering violently. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to keep warm. She walked forward towards the wall. Was this real? She thought the beach was real. She thought her friends were real. Was this real and everything else a dream? She pressed a hand flatly against the wall's surface and felt its texture. She wasn't exactly sure how to explain it. It felt...different somehow. She couldn't really put it into words. She may have even forgotten what walls felt like.

"That's the big question, isn't it? Is this real, or is it all just a dream?"

The voice was starting to become clearer. It sounded like it was coming from behind her. Before, she could hardly make out its distinction, but now, she couldn't deny who was talking to her any longer. The way it sounded, melodious yet dripping with poison all at once, at least in Azula's hearing, made her want to cry. Azula didn't have the backbone to face this recent "guest" of hers; so, instead, she leaned forward and rested her head against the wall keeping her gaze pointed down at the floor. "Now I know this is a dream," started Azula. "…Because, you're dead…"

* * *

"…_I didn't intend for that to happen that day. I didn't intend for that come out like it did on that night. And for some reason, I…feel different. I can't explain it, but something…changed. I just can't figure out if it was for better or for worse. Physically, I feel fine. Mentally, nothing's changed, at least, I don't think anything's changed. So then, why does _she_ linger in my thoughts? Not even the beating we gave Chan and his friends' beach house, even though I would hardly call that little "shack" a beach house, could get rid of her. Every time I look at Zuko, I even feel jealous. Why? What's wrong with me? It's not me that should be jealous of him! He should be envying me! I have the powers, I have dad's full favor, I took over Ba Sing Se. Me! What does Zuko have that I should be jealous of? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! I don't know why I'm even struggling with this! He's worthless… But…"_

The next two lines are blotted out with what seems like black ink, and quite messily, Mai observed. There were several ink droplets on the top and bottom of the scroll and to the sides of the written symbols. What was this? Azula had never done anything like _this_ before. She _never_ made mistakes, so why would she try to blot out something she wrote down? Maybe she did mess up, and she just wanted to correct it using another line to write on…Highly unlikely. Azula went rambling on about being jealous of Zuko. Mai thought that was absurd, but then again, as she had seen previously, Azula _can_ change and sometimes _stay_ changed for a long period of time. She had to expect the worse. But she wanted to know what made Azula take back her words. Surely Azula hadn't expected for this diary to be made public, right?

Mai leaned in even closer, squinting her eyes with so much effort that they began to hurt. Were there any lines, any indicators of what Azula could have possibly written on those two inked out lines? After giving it a good try for a while, Mai sighed. She wanted to give up, but her curiosity wouldn't allow that. She lifted the scroll into the air near one of the candles that had provided enough light for her to read by.

Mai never really expected to be back here doing the same thing she had done over and over previously. Then again, she never really expected the last two days to be a living nightmare for her either. Lately, she had been having these horrible "dreams," if you could call them that, where Azula would be crying out to her asking for help, but for some strange reason, Mai found herself ignoring each and every one of her pleas. She was a monster in her _own_ nightmares. How could she reject Azula like that? It didn't feel right, and Mai disliked it greatly. Every now and again, Mai's mind would drift back to the same cell and would start wondering about what had happened to Azula after she left. And, no, Mai didn't consider herself to be "kicked out." She left voluntarily. She could have stayed. She _could_ have. So, why didn't she? That's the same question she had been asking herself these past few days. Mai felt burdened for Azula. And how did Zuko and Ty Lee factor into the equation? Well, Mai didn't exactly have the heart to tell Zuko that she failed miserably on helping Azula. She felt he had enough problems to worry about being the Fire Lord and all. As for Ty Lee, she wasn't quite sure she could handle going back to visit Azula just yet, which she was sure Ty Lee would have made her do. Still, she needed _someone_ to tell all her problems to. However, she wasn't able to find anyone else whom she was able to trust these "secrets" with. She needed to talk to people who already knew the situation. It would be pointless talking to someone who barely knew Azula.

Something caught her eye as she examined the text closely. She saw something that looked like "mother," and if that _was_ the word, her assumptions were correct. She looked for more words to bring out. Next she saw "wanted…" Wanted what? Wanted… "love?" Was that the word she was staring at? It didn't matter, because now with those newly discovered words, she could piece together the message Azula wrote in these two lines. In order to understand the passage as a whole, Mai decided to read the rest of the entry in Azula's diary.

"…_Zuko may not have everything he wants, or maybe he does, I'm not sure what's going through his head right now, but it seems like he doesn't need all those things. After all, he gained dad's approval …and… _(More is blanked out here)…_ ? Me? I'm fine. I'm satisfied. I have everything I ever wanted. How could I possibly be more content in my life? …Yes, I'm pretty sure of that. I have nothing to worry about. My fears are based on nothing but temporary troubles. It'll go away in time. I _won't_ allow it to affect my future. Yes, I've got nothing to worry about! Nothing at all…_

More blanks? Mai held up the diary in front of the candle once again, careful to put some distance between both of them so as to not cause a fire. She read it to herself. "Mom's love…what…could…need? Hmm?" She pondered over it for a few seconds. "After all, he gained dad's approval and mom's love?" She wasn't sure about the rest, but she knew the gist of it. She understood now. Before, back at that beach around the campfire, she thought Azula was just over exaggerating about her life. How wrong Mai was! As a matter of fact, Azula was under exaggerating it. She lost the love of _both_ parents, even though she was practically brainwashed into thinking that she had one of them, and now, that missing "care" in her life was wreaking havoc on her. Mai never really bothered to pay much attention to it, but there was a deep significance that she should have learned that day. Now, Mai felt even worse about herself. But, wait…

"Where's the rest of the diary? That's it?" There was a big blank space for the rest of the scroll. _Nothing_ was written on it. It was empty. What happened? Mai was certain that she had more things to write. Did she not take the time to jot it all down? What about the eclipse over the Fire Nation? Azula was there, including herself and Ty Lee. What about…Boiling Rock? No records from that particular point in their lives were located on this scroll. She looked over the entire diary and even rechecked too, just to make sure. After giving a valiant effort in her search for the rest of the missing entries, Mai placed the scroll down on her desk. No amount of searching would just make it magically appear out of nowhere. Maybe that was it. Maybe Azula decided to quit the journal-writing business. _But, then again…_ Mai recalled that time she had talked to Zuko out on that balcony watching the sunset. There was a third scroll that she received from him. Of course! How could Mai have forgotten the third scroll? She walked up to one of her drawers and pulled it open. Inside lay bare two other scrolls all by themselves. It was the first and third one. Carefully, almost as if guarding a huge secret, she rolled up the one she was carrying and neatly stacked it next to the first. Then, she gently grabbed the third and picked it up closing the drawer right after.

This was it. This was the last scroll for Azula's entire diary. Mai had no idea what to anticipate, probably more disparaging news, but Mai had to continue on if she was ever going to satisfy her curiosity. She placed it onto her desk and unraveled it slowly. A few seconds after, Mai understood why Azula could have cared less about keeping up with her journal entries…

* * *

"One, two, three, four, five, six…" Using his finger to help him along, Ozai sluggishly began counting the bricks on the ceiling from his laid-back position on his bed. Getting bored was the usual everyday thing, and he _did_ experience it quite literally "every day." Actually, he was completely bored right _now_. Counting either the bricks in his cell or the number of guards, including the ones that switched posts with the original ones, outside was the only thing that was keeping him from going crazy. It kept him occupied for a while, then, shortly after, things would really start to slow down by each passing hour since he wouldn't be able to find other things to do. "Seven, eight, nine…Wait…was that eight or was that nine?" Boredom seemed to incite frustration in him as well. "No, _that_ was eight; this one's nine…I think…" And talking to himself? He already had that under his belt when he entered this "blasted" Earth Kingdom prison facility. The guards would tell him to keep quiet, but he sometimes couldn't help himself. He figured, "Who else was going to talk to him…politely?" "Darn it!" he yelled loudly. His frown intensified. "I hate numbers…" He sat up and folded his arms. _Oh great! Now there's nothing else to do…_ He couldn't sit still for longer than an hour at the minimum. His legs felt "itchy." Not itchy in the sense that he wanted to scratch them, but itchy in the way that his legs needed to move around and do _something_, anything that would have sufficed. He massaged them both and shook them loosely to the sides. _Nothing's happening…nothing's happening…nothing's happening… _He exhaled all the gathered up air in his lungs forcibly and leaned his chin on the palm of his hand. _Okay, Iroh, oh "amazing and wondeful" Iroh. You might have won dad's favor away from me, but you'll never…you'll never…um… _Was thinking about his older brother really the only thing he had left? He really was losing it. _…Be devilishly good-looking as I am…_ Ozai grinned and laughed a bit. Then that grin suddenly transformed into a scowl. He was angry at himself. What in the world was happening to him? He used to hold such a serious posture wherever he went, and now, he was getting all…giddy. "Be devilishly good-looking?" That was definitely _not_ a good sign. He slapped the side of his head a few times. _C'mon, Ozai. Get it together. You've got to stay focused…_

"Hey!" said the guard just outside his cell door knocking on it powerfully. "Perk up, 'your majesty.' You're about to get a visit from _true_ royalty."

Ozai became annoyed at this little command of the guard's. "Shut up!" he retorted.

Suddenly, as if without warning, the door swung open rapidly, revealing a sight that was truly awe-filled to behold, at least through Ozai's eyes. _Royalty, huh? More like, no good thief…_

Zuko strode right in ignoring the angry look he was receiving from his father. Entering the small cell by himself, Ozai's son looked like the exact embodiment of him when he was younger, practically, except, Zuko wasn't as cruel-hearted as he was. It was unusual. You would think any father would be proud of his son accomplishing something as big as this. Nope. Not when that particular father was the person you had to plow through in order to achieve that "accomplishment."

What was he back for? Didn't he already get all the information he needed on Ursa? Ozai could barely contain his smile, so he proudly showed it off. He chuckled a bit. "Wow, two times in two months? I'm impressed…"

Zuko lifted a hand to interrupt him. He countered his father's smile with a deep angry frown. "Save it…I don't have time for your little patronizing games."

Ozai could tell, Zuko grew, not in height but in maturity. He looked more responsible now. Well, he should have expected the rushed in Fire Lord to be that way. "Oh? I'm sorry, 'Fire Lord' Zuko…" he said as he maintained his smile. "Am I wasting your time, hmmm?" His smile quickly changed into a frown. "_You're_ the one that decided to come here. _You_ took the time come visit me. It's not my fault you can't handle your own schedule…" He lay back down on his plank-bed. Zuko gave him a terrible glare, while Ozai continued to, this time, mentally count the bricks up on the ceiling. "What do you want? If this is about _me_ recognizing _you_ as Fire Lord, you might as well try finding your mother…"

Zuko's white teeth bared themselves as he scowled and tightened his fists even harder. "No!" he yelled getting frustrated. It was working. Ozai was winning the emotional battlefield, and Zuko hadn't even noticed. "This isn't about you _or_ me! This is about Azula…"

Ozai dropped everything he was doing, which wasn't really much except counting, and decided to stop his goofy-looking grin. The air surrounding him felt more serious. He placed his hands behind his head to allow them to act as his pillow. "…Well? Go on. You said you 'didn't have time,' so continue…"

Zuko's scant scowl slowly receded into a frown. Now that he had his full attention, he decided to move on. "I don't…I just thought I'd tell you…It's all _your_ fault…"

Ozai kept his eyes closed. "And, is this the part where you point out some horrible deed I did to make her feel all sad about herself?" He was completely assuming that something bad had happened to Azula. Of course! Why else would Zuko have been angry? "Wait a minute…since when did you start caring about your sister?"

He looked down contemplatively at the floor. He too had the unusual fetish of counting things. It seemed like OCD ran in the family? Quite possibly… He was counting the bricks on the floor to keep his mind focused. It took him a few seconds to respond, and Ozai was already getting impatient. "When she had no one else to care for her…" finally replied Zuko.

"You mean, after everything she tried doing and even did do to you…" Ozai wasn't sure he had heard Zuko right. "You…_care_ for her now? All of a sudden?" His interest was already peaked. By then, he was sitting up looking up at the Fire Lord. "Why?"

In truth, Zuko had pondered this question himself many times before. He finally came to the conclusion that everyone deserved redemption, even the worst of them…even his father, but his father was a whole 'nother story. He would definitely need time to convince himself that his father needed redemption too. For now, he would just focus on Azula. "It's something you wouldn't understand…and probably never will," he said.

Ozai's smile came back on, and he laughed a bit. "Whatever…" Lying down once again, Ozai shut Zuko out from his vision by closing his eyes. He kind of wished Iroh had looked out for him like _that_, but that dream was now long far away.

"Are you listening to me?!" yelled Zuko. "She's like the way she is now because of you!"

"How is Azula, by the way?" asked Ozai earnestly.

To be honest, Zuko was slightly taken aback, but he kept going. "You want to know how she's doing?" Zuko asked incredulously. "I'll tell you: she's _not_ okay. She's talking to herself; she almost got killed by the other inmates; she tried committing suicide …she practically cries herself to sleep every night…" He hesitated to say that last one _because_ it was so depressing, but that was what he had read in one of Azula's recent "check-up" letters sent from the captain. He had wanted to make his dad feel guilty for it all. "The list gets worse as it goes on and on. Need I say more?" Zuko hoped that _that_ would make a considerable impact on him.

His father, however, didn't even look the least bit surprised. He kept a cool demeanor about him. After giving it some thought, Ozai answered back. "And…you think this is all _my_ fault?" He had transitioned from lying down to sitting up quite a lot within the past few minutes, but it looked like he was going to stay seated upright for the rest of Zuko's little visit just to make a point. "What about _you_? If she's as messed up as you say…isn't some of it your fault, too?" He took aim, he fired, and he made it. Ozai shot Zuko a question that halted his moral self-righteousness. Who was he to think he could blame _other_ people for _his_ problems? Just because Ozai was in jail didn't mean that Zuko had that right.

Zuko's jaw dropped. He didn't know how to handle that question. It was hard for him to grasp the meaning of that particular question because for so long, he always saw his _father_ as the enemy, not _himself_. "Isn't it your fault, too?" did not compute at all. Confused, he said the only thing that came to mind. "…What?" It would hopefully buy him some time to think about an answer.

With a satisfied smile on his face, Ozai folded his arms and smiled. He knew he had Zuko trapped. Zuko was the type of person to think on everything he either did, said, or heard. Ozai knew his son well enough. This question was already imprinted onto Zuko's mind. There was no point in repeating it when he already knew what it was. "You heard what I said…I think _you_ had something to do with it."

Zuko shook his head. There was no way _he_ could have made Azula like that…could he? Actually, now that he thought about it, he might have contributed _a little_, but not _that_ much…right? These thoughts that were trying to convince him that _he_ was the "bad guy" were the ones that he shook his head at. It couldn't have been possible. But, that was the thing…It _could_ have been possible. Azula's recent birthday "party" was a prime example of that. "No!" he yelled after a while. "No, this isn't _my_ fault…You-you used her!"

"I used her, huh?" Ozai was trying to go about this strategically. "Really? Pray tell, how did I do _that_?"

Zuko pointed a finger angrily towards him. "You know what you did!" Zuko talked to him as if he was absurd. "She didn't _have_ to learn firebending! She didn't _have_ to learn all that fighting! You didn't have to send her after the avatar!" Venting his anger off of his father seemed like a pretty good stress-reliever. "We could have been _normal_!"

One of Ozai's brows shot up. "_We_?" That might have been one of the reasons why Zuko was so adamant on blaming him. Of course! It wasn't _all_ about Azula. _He_ had some kind of problem with it too. It was only _now_ when Azula was visibly suffering from it that he had something to connect to. "Ha. I see…"

Zuko was primarily thinking about how his father had banished him from the Fire Nation, sending him on a hopeless hunt for the avatar. It was clear that he was still having trouble forgetting about this particular moment in his past considering that he accidentally said "We." Now, Zuko only wanted to cover up for his mistake. "No, you _don't_! All you cared about was yourself and your selfish plans!" he yelled, getting back on track. "And now, Azula's suffering for it…"

* * *

_You're dead._ More freezing wind blew in through the barred window of the seemingly tiny cell. The reason it was "seemingly tiny" to Azula was because, she was _so_ used to living in it, it almost felt like a second "home" to her; "home" only for the reason that she was living in it and for so long. However, Azula paid all of her attention to the person behind her, anticipating a response. The wind was just a minor inconvenience she had to ignore for now. It was either she was ignoring the wind, or she just couldn't feel it anymore. She had no clue. Her senses were starting to get the best of her. Everything around her felt distorted and unreal. If Azula _was_ in a dream, she was entirely unaware of it now with the new distraction that had entered itself into the environment. After what seemed like minutes had passed by, Azula couldn't take it any longer. The eerie silence from before had come to pay the cell a visit, and it was making her feel a little uncomfortable. If the person behind her was waiting her out to get her guard down, they would have to think again. "Why are you here?!" asked Azula roughly. "Can't you see I'm…busy…?" _Not really. Busy doing what? Playing prisoner? _That was what Azula had kept thinking in her mind as she examined herself. Her clothes were a constant reminder that she wasn't in the palace any more. Dread overwhelmed her being. She wasn't sure if she could handle this prison business any longer.

"Busy…" the woman responded in kind. It was almost as if she was confirming that fact. "Then, I won't take that long…Will you…at least take the time to listen?"

"_No!"_ Azula wanted to say badly, but she restrained herself. Instead, she kept silent. She continued to have her back turned to her. "I…have nothing I want to hear from you." Azula knew she sounded cold at that moment, but really, she wanted her to stay. Azula just didn't want to seem like she was "giving up" in this little fight that she had created in her own mind. Admitting defeat would be the ultimate humiliation to her. Losing her powers and getting locked up in prison were nothing as long as she didn't have to tell anyone that she was wrong. Pride was her stumbling block. However, she wasn't above expressing her other feelings. A pang of guilt had suddenly come across her feelings for saying what she had just said previously. Azula really _did_ want her to stay. "What is it?" she asked hurriedly. "What do you want..._mom_?"

Azula heard her clear her throat and move around a bit making a ruffling sound with her clothes. _Well, at least she didn't leave. _"You know what I'm here for," she heard her mother say. "It's nothing new…"

Still, Azula refused to look at her own mother in the eye. She just couldn't gather up enough courage to do it. Did she know, really? Did Azula already know the answer beforehand? She searched her memories. _Change? Unlikely. _"Oh, well, Zuko's doing fine, I suppose…You're little boy is all grown up, now that he's Fire Lord. Looks like you chose correctly…" she responded scathingly. She had wanted to make her feel horrible for what she did. Azula had wanted to make her mother feel all the guilt _she_ had been carrying all this time. She had hoped that it would've have burned her to the point that she would leave. Azula couldn't explain what was starting to happen, because now, tears were starting to come to her eyes.

_Have you finally learned from your mistakes? Can you see now that Zuko wasn't an only child? _Azula remained blind to the fact that she was at fault as well, but Ursa was not about to point that out. It would have been better for her to come to that realization on her own. Arrogance wouldn't solve a thing. "Azula…" her mother had started. "I'm sorry…for everything I did…for hurting you." Azula did _not_ want to hear this right now, yet somewhere deep down, she had been longing for this conversation for a very, _very_ long time. She wasn't exactly sure she was ready, though. Her mother went on. "I'm sorry you…see me like that…"

"Like what?" inquired Azula. "See you for who you truly were?" She needed to get things straight. She wasn't just going to allow her mother to fool her into a false sense of security. This was a complicated matter. "A selfish monster who only cared about her firstborn son?" Calling her mom a "selfish monster" was just pure revenge.

"Monster?" asked her mother in response. "No…Azula, if you decide to listen and take to heart only one thing from this entire conversation, then let it be this…" Azula eagerly waited what she was going to say next, so she would get the chance to rip it to shreds. "I _loved_ you, despite everything you may have thought about me. I loved you then, I loved you after…" This next part was hard for Azula to swallow. "…And I love you now." finished Ursa confidently.

_None of it's true. None it's true. _It was hard convincing herself that she was wrong. Maybe Azula was seeing things wrongly. Maybe it truly _was_ all her fault, and she just couldn't see it before…Or, maybe the person behind her was a complete liar as well. Maybe this was all a trap. How could she have forgotten what happened a few minutes ago? She was just on the beach talking to her friends and "beloved" brother about everyone else's problems, and now, she just magically appeared in this jail cell? Things weren't making much sense, but for some reason, Azula's mind didn't make the connection between her situation now, and the term "dream," if it even was one. All she knew was that she was there, and she was talking to her mother avoiding all possible chances of making eye contact. Azula separated her head from the wall and stared at it. Her vision was quite blurry from all the tears that were newly surfacing, and she didn't want to sniffle out loud to reveal to her mother that she was crying. That was a sign of weakness. "If that's…" She inhaled and exhaled steadily to relieve some of the tears. "…true, then why didn't I see that?" she asked, genuinely curious. All the stress from this "little" conversation was staring to make her sleepy.

"Azula…look at me…"

Why did she have to? She didn't want to make things uncomfortable for herself, and that's why she had kept her gaze away from her mother. She seemed fascinated by the wall in front of her. Really, what could it hurt, right? Besides, Azula wasn't sure that _that_ was her mother that she was talking to. It could have been someone else for all she knew, but for the most part, she was pretty sure it _was_ her mother. She hadn't seen her in so long, the way she looked in _her_ mind was getting fuzzy. It wasn't clear. Amazingly, she started to feel her muscles twitch and then her legs and feet to move. Ever so slowly, Azula started turning around to set her eyes on her guest. She needed to suck it up, anyways, and start facing her problems one on one. This was as good a start as any. She wasn't exactly sure what had prompted her to turn around, but whatever, it was, it was getting its way. Azula's eyes finally set themselves on a woman who looked no older than thirty-five or thirty-six with long flowing raven black hair practically the same color as hers. Looking at her made her think of her childhood. The way her mother had looked back then was the way she looked now right in front of her. It brought back memories both bad and good. "I…" She couldn't stand to look into her golden eyes for more than a few seconds. It brought conviction to her mind. With her own eyes glistening from the coat of tears that were now spilling out, Azula stood there, literally speechless. "You don't…love me…" she said as she looked away. "At least come right out and say it. Don't be…a coward by lying…" Her now audible sniffling was starting to interfere with her speech.

She watched as her mother started walking closer to her, but Azula stood her ground. Whatever new plan of intimidation she had in mind for her, Azula would be ready for it, or at least she thought she was. The awkwardness increased in the atmosphere. The next thing she knew, Azula found herself staring up at her with the nastiest glare she could muster up under her current condition. After a few seconds of Azula glaring her down, she watched as her mother opened up her arms and smiled such a warm and comforting smile that Azula was taken aback, yet she continued to keep up her mean, tough-looking appearance. "I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me." She was showing_ her_ forgiveness? Why? What had made her deserve it? Even Azula was skeptical about it. She didn't think she earned it. She wanted it for sure, but she thought no one would _want_ to show her that. Could this have been what Mai, Ty Lee, and even Zuko have been trying to show her all this time, but she was just too blind to realize that? It had appeared that her selfish desires had blocked out her acceptance of her friends' and brother's compassion.

She looked at her mom strangely. She just expected _Azula_ to drop her defenses and let it all come tumbling down? Azula shook her head. For so long, she had dreamt of this day: the day when her mother would finally come to accept her and ignore all the "scars" that had made her emotionally deformed. However, _something_ was stopping her from running to her arms. It didn't feel normal, and she had no idea why. It was because she had forgotten what it felt like, to experience unconditional love, and she had certainly never felt like she had experienced that with her father because she always had to _earn_ that from him. The thing that worried her the most, though, was the hurt and betrayal. What gave her the guarantee that she wasn't going to feel that again? She was just going to open up and go to her mother only to get hurt again? No, she didn't want that. "I…can't. I'm not sure. I don't know." Her mother's face turned sad, and she walked up closer to her, letting down her arms in the process. Azula shook her head once again to ward her off as she continued to take a few steps back.

The next few moments seem to happen in a flash, because soon after, Azula, after expressing her hesitation, felt a hand from behind grab her arm fiercely. All of a sudden, she got pulled back a few feet. Her attention was ripped away from her mother, and it was now being placed onto this new "problem" that was now inserting itself into the situation. Azula turned around, now feeling pressure from the hand that had grabbed her, and, as if it could _not_ make much more sense, the cell she was in suddenly turned black. It was engulfed in darkness, and unexplainably, her eyes met the gaze of "someone" who she was least expecting to see._..This isn't a dream; it's a nightmare._

"Welcome to my world!" greeted the new voice.

**Ummmm...sorry it took so long for this to come? Yeah...My bad! Well, next chapter (ha, sorry if that takes two months) will be the continuation. Let's just see what's going on with Azula there. **


End file.
